End-of-life care is one of the major transcultural issues in nursing that have raised serious ethical conversation. The healthcare institution ought to provide the most beneficial interventions to the patients. This may involve analyzing the likelihood of the patient recovering and the cost implications of the treatment procedures. For example, the chances of people with terminal illnesses surviving are minimal and this means that they may need continuous care and monitoring. A good scenario involves a case where a stage 4 cancer patient from a poor family background is brought to the hospital for chemotherapy. The medical procedures are demanding in terms of cost. On the other hand, the family members of the patient decide that the patient should not be given the medical interventions because he will eventually die. Furthermore, the family believes in life after death and so claim that allowing the patient to die will allow him to enjoy life in heaven rather than suffer on earth. Not all people believe in life after death. Some value life when some are still and immediately they die they are forgotten. The issue, in this case, presents a relevant transcultural concern for nursing practitioners.
Reference: Givler, A., & Maani-Fogelman, P. A. (2020). The importance of cultural competence in pain and palliative care. StatPearls [Internet].
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493154/
Reference: Martin, E. M., & Barkley Jr, T. W. (2016). Improving cultural competence in end-of-life pain management. Nursing2020, 46(1), 32-41.
Link: https://ethnomed.org/resource/cultural-relevance-in-end-of-life-care/
The article elaborates on the importance of transcultural competency in nursing practice, especially in palliative care. Family members are likely to give up on their patients based on their cultural beliefs. In cases where the values and beliefs of the patients’ family members do not support improvement in the quality of life, it is important that the nurse intervene and educate them accordingly (Givler& Maani-Fogelman, 2020). Pain management is challenging for healthcare professionals especially when the patient is almost dying. The nurses working in ethnically and culturally diversified environments must understand, respect, and integrate the values of their patients in the treatment protocol. The family members are likely to give excuses associated with lack of resources, and misunderstanding of the scope of palliative care. Alternatively, some may believe in the healing power and resort to prayers rather than medical interventions. In such cases, the nurses must upload the ethical principle of do no harm and provide the most beneficial interventions for their patients. The study reports that Chinese, Hispanic, Vietnamese, and Native Americans prefer not disclosing terminal illnesses to the patient to avoid subjecting them to emotional torture.
Furthermore, Martin & Barkley Jr (2016) reinforces the importance of discussion between the nursing staff and the patients on the role of treatment intervention to terminally ill patients. The providers’ experience and transcultural competencies matter; they must be able to convince the family members of the importance of treatment intervention but in a respectful manner.
The education plan will involve letting the family members understand the importance of administering pain management drugs and other treatment interventions to terminally ill patients. All people have the right to live and so subjecting one to pain or even letting them die early because of the fear of cost implications. The education will help the family members understand that their values and beliefs matter in the treatment process. Also, they will appreciate the alternative view of the health issue and discuss the most beneficial intervention.
Order this paper