Question 1:
In working with client, one must always be mindful of the cultural background from which they come. To this end, one must be culturally sensitive, and aware of the ways in which those cultures may differ from one’s own (Cioffe, 2002). In one instance, I was wondering with Hmong woman who had just had a baby. I needed to assess the way the infant was being fed, and the ways in which the infant was being cared for. As such, I had to ask a variety of probing questions, to establish if the baby was properly fed and nurtured. I found myself running into difficulty, because the woman was very withdrawn, and seemed unengaged with the situation. I felt as though I was not reaching her. After a protracted time trying to get answers to questions, I chose to ask the woman how I could best help her, in a straight-forward manner. She seemed surprised, and explained that she was trying to be polite by being as indirect as I had been. Once I had been direct with her, she was able to speak in a clear manner with me. From that point on, the situation went easily. I learned, through trying different methods of communication, that different cultures value a variety of means of presenting one’s self. It also drove home the point that if one approach does not work, it is wise to try a variety (Spring, Ross, Etkin & Deinard, 1995) .
Question 2:
In working with individuals, one must take into account their learning styles. To do this, on must carefully evaluate the ways patients react to situations (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). Recently, I was working with a woman, attempting to explain written instruction to her. After going over the form several times, it became clear that she was not understanding what was being said. I thought about the situation, and realized that she was not able to read. As such, a written approach was not a wise choice. To this end, I put aside the paper, and focused on an auditory method of communicating, and teaching the instructions. I repeated the procedure several times, but beyond that, I simplified the vocabulary. I did not do this because the woman was stupid, but rather because the complicated language I had been using was, while effective in writing, difficult to remember by listening when simply spoken verbally. To this end, simplifying the language made oral instructions, remembered by the patient, possible (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). Similarly, I did not make her feel uncomfortable or talked down to, and did not address the fact that it was likely she could not read. I simply acted as though this teaching method was standard. By using an alternate learning method, and by not making that transition into an issue, I created an effective learning environment.
Works Cited
Cioffi, J. (2003). Communicating with culturally and linguistically diverse patients in an acute care setting: nurses’ experiences. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 40, 299–306.
Kolb, A. Kolb, D. (2005). Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education. 4 (2), 193-212
Spring, M. Ross, P. Etkin, N. & Deinard, A. (1995). Sociocultural Factors in the Use of Prenatal Care by Hmong Women, Minneapolis. American Journal of Public Health, 85 (7), 1015-1017.
