Discussion: Diversity and Health Assessments

;Discussion: Diversity and Health Assessments
May 2012, Alice Randall wrote an article for The New York Times on ;the cultural factors that encouraged black women to maintain a weight ;above what is considered healthy. Randall explained�from her ;observations and her personal experience as a black woman�that many ;African-American communities and cultures consider women who are ;overweight to be more beautiful and desirable than women at a healthier ;weight. As she put it, �Many black women are fat because we want to be� ;(Randall, 2012).
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Randall�s statements sparked a great deal of controversy and debate; ;however, they emphasize an underlying reality in the healthcare field: ;different populations, cultures, and groups have diverse beliefs and ;practices that impact their health. Nurses and healthcare professionals ;should be aware of this reality and adapt their health assessment ;techniques and recommendations to accommodate diversity.
In this Discussion, you will consider different socioeconomic, ;spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors that should be taken ;into considerations when building a health history for patients with ;diverse backgrounds. Your Instructor will assign a case study to you for ;this Discussion.

; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;CASE STUDY:

;EB is a 68-year-old black female who comes in for ;follow-up of hypertension. She has glaucoma and her vision has been ;worsening during the past few years. She lives alone and is prescribed ;four hypertension medications (Hydralazine 50 mg PO Q8H, Metoprolol XL ;200 mg PO Q12H, Lisinopril 40 mg PO daily, and HCTZ 25mg PO daily ). She ;brings in her medication bottles and she has some medication bottles ;from the previous year full of medications. She is missing one ;medication she had been prescribed and says she may have forgotten it at ;home. Her BP in clinic today is 182/99 with HR of 84. ;

; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;To prepare:
� Reflect on your experiences as a nurse and on the information ;provided in this week�s Learning Resources on diversity issues in health ;assessments.
� By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned a case study by your ;Instructor. Note: Please see the �Course Announcements� section of the ;classroom for your case study assignment.
� Reflect on the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and ;other cultural factors related to the health of the patient assigned to ;you.
� Consider how you would build a health history for the patient. ;What questions would you ask, and how would you frame them to be ;sensitive to the patient�s background, lifestyle, and culture? Develop ;five targeted questions you would ask the patient to build his or her ;health history and to assess his or her health risks.
� Think about the challenges associated with communicating with ;patients from a variety of specific populations. What strategies can you ;as a nurse employ to be sensitive to different cultural factors while ;gathering the pertinent information?
Post an explanation of the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, ;lifestyle, and other cultural factors associated with the patient you ;were assigned. ;

Explain the issues that you would need to be sensitive to ;when interacting with the patient, and why. ;

Provide at least five ;targeted questions you would ask the patient to build his or her health ;history and to assess his or her health risks. ;

NOTE: THIS IS THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE BOOK

;https://www.sendspace.com/file/wd7quh
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