understanding cultural diversity health team relations
TRANSCRIPT
Understanding Cultural Diversity
Health Team Relations
Holistic Care
• Definition: Care for the well-being of the whole person.
Family Organization
• Nuclear
• Extended
Nuclear or Extended
• Hispanic American
• Native American
• Polish American
• Italian American
• African American
• British American
Family Organization
Patriarchal Matriarchal
Language
• Dominant language in U.S. is ENGLISH
• What percent of U.S. population speaks a language other than English at home?
• 20%
• Health care workers must ask questions to determine the patient’s ability to communicate.
• When possible, find a translator.
Techniques for Non-English Speaking Patients
• Speak slowly and use simple words
• Use gestures or pictures
• Use non-verbal – smile and touch
• DON’T speak louder
• Learn a few essential words and phrases
Personal Space and Touch
• Close contact vs. distant contact cultures
Stay out of my space!
Personal Space and Touch
• Arab• French & Latin
Americans• Hispanic
Americans• Gender• European &
African Americans• Asian Americans
• Cambodia• Vietnamese• Middle Eastern• Native American
Eye Contact
• European Americans• Maintaining eye contact sign of interest and
trustworthiness
Eye Contact
• What about other cultures?
Gestures
• Hand gestures mean different things in different countries.
• Health care workers must be sensitive when using hand gestures