NURS 6512 Discussion Diversity and Health Assessments
NURS 6512 Discussion Diversity and Health Assessments
Culture and socioeconomic factors influence the health outcomes for patients. Therefore, understanding the specific needs of the patients helps in developing appropriate intervention measures that guarantee better outcomes (Hu et al., 2019). In this case, JC is an at-risk 86-year-old Asian male who is financially and physically dependent on the daughter. The patient presents with hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic prostatitis, and b12 deficiency.
Socioeconomic, Spiritual, Lifestyle, and Other Cultural Factors Associated with the Patient
The patient is lonely considering that she depends on her daughter who is a single mother and has no time or money for the father’s health needs. In addition, the patient does not get spiritual support. Considering his age and physical instability, he cannot attend religious activities (Lee, 2017). The patient feels that he is already a burden to his daughter and feels sorry about it as evident in his conversation during his visit to the clinic. The reduced mobility and lack of social and spiritual support expose the patient to a sedentary lifestyle. Also, poor dietary intake could impact his health outcomes. Furthermore, understanding the Asian culture is necessary to interact appropriately with the patient.
Issues That You Would Need to Be Sensitive to When Interacting with the Patient
In interacting with the patient, one must be sensitive to avoid the possibility of conflict arising (Ball et al., 2019). In this case, it will be necessary to ask the patient whether he will be comfortable using the prescribed medications over the traditional medications (Xin et al., 2020). Besides, it is important to understand the additional medications that the client could be taking to avoid adverse medication interactions. The patient is physically inactive and this means that he may not engage appropriately in the activities of daily living. Therefore, asking the patient about his ability to bathe and feed will be important.
The targeted questions to ask will include:
- Do you have health insurance?
- How often do you check your blood pressure?
- How many meals do you take in a day?
- Do you always take medications as prescribed?
- Do you think your daughters offer you enough support?
The assessment aims at identifying the underlying factors that could affect the patient’s illnesses. The human healing processes depend on other factors such as spiritual and socioeconomic needs. In this case, the patient is lonely and requires enough social support.
NURS 6512 Discussion Diversity and Health Assessments References
Ball, J., Dains, J., Flynn, J., Solomon, B., Stewart, R. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Hu, Y., Jiao, M., & Li, F. (2019). Effectiveness of spiritual care training to enhance spiritual health and spiritual care competency among oncology nurses. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.2.16979/v2
Lee, R., Eun-Kyoung, O. (2017). Faith, spirituality, and values among Asian-American older adults: An exploratory factor analysis of the multidimensional measures of religion and spirituality. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 19 (8), 920–931. doi:10.1080/13674676.2017.1290593
Xin, B., Mu, S., Tan, T., Yeung, A., Gu, D., Feng, Q. (2020). Belief in and use of traditional Chinese medicine in Shanghai older adults: A cross-sectional study. BMC Complement Medicine and Therapies 20 (128). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-02910-x. https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-020- 02910-x
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).
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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.
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?
By Day 3 of Week 2
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: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 6 of Week 2
Respond on or before Day 6 on 2 different days to at least two of your colleagues who were assigned a different patient than you. Critique your colleague’s targeted questions, and explain how the patient might interpret these questions. Explain whether any of the questions would apply to your patient, and why.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 2 Discussion Rubric
Post by Day 3 of Week 2 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 2
To Participate in this Discussion:
Week 2 Discussion
What’s Coming Up in Week 3?
Photo Credit: [BrianAJackson]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images
Next week, you examine assessment techniques, health risks and concerns, and recommendations for care related to patient growth, weight, and nutrition. You will also begin your first DCE: Health History Assessment which will be due in Week 4. Plan your time accordingly.
Overview of Digital Clinical Experiences (DCE) and Lab Components
Throughout this course, you are required to not only complete your standard course assignments and discussions, but you will also complete DCE and Lab Components that are either structured as optional or required assignment submissions. Please take the time to review your DCEand Lab Components for this course that are required submissions. See the table below and the attached table for specific DCE and Lab Components for the course.
Note: Each Shadow Health Assessment may be attempted and reopened as many times as necessary prior to the due date to achieve a total score of 80% or better, but you must take all attempts by the Day 7 deadline. You must pass BOTH the Health History and Comprehensive (head-to-toe) Physical Exam of at least a total score of 80% in order to pass the course.
| Week | Digital Clinical Experiences | Lab Components |
| Module 1: Comprehensive Health History | ||
| Week 1: Building a Comprehensive Health History | ||
| Module 2: Functional Assessments and Assessment Tools | ||
| Week 2: Functional Assessments and Cultural and Diversity Awareness in Health Assessment | ||
| Week 3: Assessment Tools, Diagnostics, Growth, Measurement, and Nutrition in Adults and Children | DCE: Health History Assessment (assigned in Week 3, due in Week 4) | Case Study Assignment: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children |
| Module 3: Approach to System Focused Advanced Health Assessments | ||
| Week 4: Assessment of the Skin, Hair, and Nails | DCE: Health History Assessment | Lab Assignment: Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions (SOAP Note for differential diagnosis) |
| Week 5: Assessment of Head, Neck, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat | DCE: Focused Exam: Cough | Case Study Assignment: Assessing the Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat (Episodic SOAP Note) |
| Week 6: Assessment of the Abdomen and Gastrointestinal System | Lab Assignment: Assessing the Abdomen (Analyze SOAP Note) | |
| Week 7: Assessment of the Heart, Lungs, and Peripheral Vascular System | DCE: Focused Exam: Chest Pain | |
| Week 8: Assessment of the Musculoskeletal System | Discussion: Assessing Musculoskeletal Pain (Episodic SOAP Note) | |
| Week 9: Assessment of Cognition and the Neurologic System | DCE: Comprehensive (head-to-toe) Physical Assessment | Case Study Assignment: Assessing Neurological Symptoms (Episodic SOAP Note) |
| Week 10: Special Examinations—Breast, Genital, Prostate, and Rectal | Lab Assignment: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum (analyze SOAP Note) | |
| Module 4: Ethics in Assessment | ||
| Week 11: The Ethics Behind Assessment | Lab Assignment: Ethical Concerns | |
Next Week
Week 2: Functional Assessments and Cultural and Diversity Awareness in Health Assessment
Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.
NURS 6512 Discussion Diversity and Health Assessments
—Ola Joseph
Countless assessments can be conducted on patients, but they may not be useful. In order to ensure that health assessments result in the necessary care, health assessments should take into account the impact of factors such as cultures and developmental circumstances.
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Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze diversity considerations in health assessments
- Apply concepts, theories, and principles related to examination techniques, functional assessments, and cultural and diversity awareness in health assessment
Learning Resources
Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
- Chapter 1, “The History and Interviewing Process” (Previously read in Week 1)
This chapter highlights history and interviewing processes. The authors explore a variety of communication techniques, professionalism, and functional assessment concepts when developing relationships with patients.
- Chapter 2, “Cultural Competency”
This chapter highlights the importance of cultural awareness when conducting health assessments. The authors explore the impact of culture on health beliefs and practices.
The authors of this article present patterns and trends in all-cause mortality and leading cause of death in American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
The authors of this study explore the causal relationships between health literacy, individual characteristics, literacy, culture and society, cognitive ability, medication adherence, and the blood pressure levels of hypertensive older adults receiving healthcare services at primary healthcare centers.
Required Media (click to expand/reduce)
Module 2 Introduction
Dr. Tara Harris reviews the overall expectations for Module 2. Consider how you will manage your time as you review your media and Learning Resources for your Discussion, Case Study Lab Assignment, and your DCE Assignment (3m).
Functional Assessments and Cultural and Diversity Awareness in Health Assessment – Week 2 (10m)
I enjoyed reading your entry. The targeted questions you suggested would help you gather more information about the patient. On a scale of 0-10, 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain, how can you rate your headache? The patients’ pain level can help you understand how critical the pain may be effecting the patient. Depending on the severity of the headache you have to monitor for other healthcare issues he could possibly be facing. The patient would most likely be open to explain how bad the headache is hurting him. Do you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use any recreational drugs? This question is a good question because some of these things aggravate a headache even more and some recreational drugs can enhance a headache. Recreational drugs cause a risk to a patients’ health and may enhance a patients want to self harm. Also there are negative impacts of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs on the patients’ health. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and cancer (Health effects of cigarette smoking, 2021). Do you feel safe at home? How much sleep do you get? Do you feel depressed? Do you feel like hurting yourself? These four questions help the provider understand the patient’s mental health level. The patient safety and mental health is important to address when addressing medical issues. The patients’ frequent flyer status at the hospital may be a indicator of situations sometimes characterized by physical, mental, spiritual, and social deprivation of their home situations (Huang, van der Borght, Leithaus, Flamaing, and Goderis, 2020). The patient may no be that open to answering these questions because they may seem invasive to him. I would try to make the patient feel comfortable and safe before assessing him. What coping skills/mechanism works for you when you are stressed? The patients coping skills is important to address because the patient is a frequent flyer to the hopital. The patient may be lacking coping skills and may be reluctant to open up about his coping mechanisms. Patients with maladaptive coping mechanisms are more likely to engage in health risk behaviors (Algorani & Gupta, 2022). What do you do for a living? Although this is a good question, I don’t believe this would help you gather information about the patients chief complaint.
The questions that would apply to my patients is the questions about coping mechanisms, safety, depression, and self harm. My patient is a transgender male that recently came out so his mental health status may be a risk for depression and possible self harm. My patient has also had losses in employment and had to move back home with his parents so his coping skills may be questioned on how he is dealing with the recent transitions in his life. My patient also may face a lot of bias, discrimination, and stigmas with his recent transition to male which could place him in harms way. The question about smoking, alcohol, and drugs would also apply to my patient because he smokes cigarettes and marijuana.
Algorani EB, Gupta V. Coping Mechanisms. [Updated 2022 Apr 28]. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559031/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 29). Health effects of cigarette smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/#health-risks
Huang, M., van der Borght, C., Leithaus, M., Flamaing, J., & Goderis, G. (2020). Patients’ perceptions of frequent hospital admissions: a qualitative interview study with older people above 65 years of age. BMC geriatrics, 20(1), 332. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01748-9Links to an external site.
NURS 6512 Discussion Diversity and Health Assessments Rubric Detail
Select Grid View or List View to change the rubric’s layout.
Content
Name: NURS_6512_Week_2_Discussion_Rubric
| Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | ||
| Main Posting | Points Range: 45 (45%) – 50 (50%)
“Answers all parts of the Discussion question(s) with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. Supported by at least three current, credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
Points Range: 40 (40%) – 44 (44%)
“Responds to the Discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
Points Range: 35 (35%) – 39 (39%)
“Responds to some of the Discussion question(s). One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Post is cited with two credible sources. Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors. |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 34 (34%)
“Does not respond to the Discussion question(s) adequately. Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible sources. Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
|
| Main Post: Timeliness | Points Range: 10 (10%) – 10 (10%)
Posts main post by Day 3. |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
N/A |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
N/A |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not post main post by Day 3. |
|
| First Response | Points Range: 17 (17%) – 18 (18%)
“Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of Learning Objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
Points Range: 15 (15%) – 16 (16%)
“Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
Points Range: 13 (13%) – 14 (14%)
“Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited. |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 12 (12%)
“Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. |
|
| Second Response | Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)
“Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of Learning Objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)
“Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
Points Range: 12 (12%) – 13 (13%)
“Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited. |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 11 (11%)
“Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. |
|
| Participation | Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days. |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
N/A |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
N/A |
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on three different days. |
|
| Total Points: 100 | |||||
According to a 2011 Gallup poll, nurses are ranked as the most trusted professionals in the
United States. One of the most admired nursing skills is the ability to put patients at ease. When
patients enter into a healthcare setting, they are often apprehensive about sharing personal health
information. Caring nurses can alleviate the hesitance of patients and encourage them to be
forthcoming with this information.
The initial health history interview can be an excellent opportunity to develop supportive
relationships between patients and nurses. Nurses may employ a variety of communication skills
and interview techniques to foster strong bonds with patients and to effectively facilitate the
diagnostic process. In conducting interviews, advanced practice nurses must also take into
account a range of patient-specific factors that may impact the questions they ask, how they ask
those questions, and their complete assessment of the patient’s health.
This week, you will consider how social determinants of health such as age, gender, ethnicity,
and environmental situation impact the health and risk assessment of the patients you serve. You
will also consider how social determinants of health influence your interview and
communication techniques as you work in partnership with a patient to gather data to build an
accurate health history.