Cultural misunderstanding
In my years of service as a nurse, I have encountered my fair share of challenges that have given me invaluable experience in the field that have molded me into the professional I am today. Some of these challenges are those common to other professions, too, like long working hours but, of late, a new crop of challenges have emerged. Communication has become a major deterrent in the delivery of services to the patients. It is the most essential part of being a health practitioner, yet, the challenges that it poses are relatively new to the field hence very few have the know-how on ways to tackle it.
A year ago, a middle aged Japanese lady, in her late forties probably was admitted for a short period, after undergoing a C-section to deliver her baby. I was tasked with taking care of the new mother for two days or so, before she was ready to go back home. I did not get to speak to her that much, however, only bumping in time to time to administer her painkiller medicines, which she took with no protest. On the day of her discharge, however, we happened to have quite an animated conversation as she showed her renewed vigor at the prospect of finally spending time with her family, while I had to explain to her how to take care of herself, and finish her medication. What ensued was a back-and-forth verbal tirade, with the woman acknowledging every one of my statements with a yes or any other verbal sign of consent towards my instructions. This put me off as I felt as though she wasn’t paying enough attention to the important information I was conveying.
Turns out, though, that in Japan, her home country, the habit of talking simultaneously with someone to agree with a statement is a sign that one is paying attention (Mitch, n.d). In my home country the contrary is true, as silence is considered the most apparent sign of attentiveness, and a simple yes or no to an inquiry is enough to show approval. This was an obvious case of cultural communication misunderstanding that I had encountered. Based on this event, in an advanced role, I would ensure that all health practitioners get experiences with people from as many cultural backgrounds as possible. This should enable them get a better understanding of different cultures, hence, empower them to handle situations such as mine in a better, professional way. Lack of familiarization with these cultures could lead to a lack of understanding between health practitioners and patients, and between health practitioners, too, resulting in poor service delivery to the patients.
References
Mitch. (n.d). Italki. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://www.italki.com/question/40081