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).
 

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