Did you ever stop to consider how you would approach the pain? What kind of questions you would ask people from other cultures about their symptoms? Also, what would your response be to their description of pain? Every country is culturally diverse and multifaceted. Healthcare professionals have been challenged to offer more consistent and culturally-sensitive care because of this diversity. To be able to respond appropriately and understand pain signals from different cultures, it is essential that healthcare professionals are able to recognize these differences. It is the responsibility of nurses to understand and respond to pain cues in patients and clients. It is also important for nurses to understand the culture of pain. This essay will discuss how Chinese view pain and how stereotyping and ethnocentrism will impact nursing practice. These challenges are often overcome by nurses. I also like to share my personal experiences with clients.
Each country in Asia has its own unique medicine and treatment methods. Some of these have been recognised as methods to improve health care. China, for example, has traditional Chinese medicine methods such as Acupuncture/Scraping and Moxibustion. Many of these techniques are still in use today in China. Cupping/Scraping is one of the most well-known techniques. It involves using several cups to draw blood. The blood is what makes ‘pain worse’ in China. People get sicker with age because of their blood. They believe this is due to a lack of blood flow and slow metabolism. Although they insist that antibiotics and other drugs are helpful, they are only temporary. It is because they are not comfortable with the biomedical models used in the west, that they refuse to endorse. To put it another way, getting rid off extra blood from blood vessels that causes blood to flood can help the heart and other organs to deliver clean blood and Oxygen. You can then help your body with its pain and diseases. Confucianism is also a foundation of Chinese society. It encourages harmony among people and values family. Chinese people think that psychological and physical pains are family events, not individual events. A loss of face is when someone asks for help from an outsider and reveals family information. Losing face can cause disgrace for the person and their families. A lot of Chinese people don’t want to talk about their suffering. They believe that if they do, any family member will lose face. It is important for nurses to be able to handle patients who are stereotypical and have ethnocentrism. This will allow them to provide sensitive care and help the patient. Cupping/Scraping, which removes blood toxins from the body, is an excellent way for Chinese people to live long and healthy lives. People are reluctant to speak out because of Confucianism’s Chinese nature. People from the west claim that the biomedical approach to pain management is the best way to treat and prevent it. People in the west don’t believe that disease is caused by a physical cause. Therefore, if the physical cause is removed, it will be eliminated. It also considers the impact of society and stress on health. While the biomedical model of medicine is the most popular in western culture, it tends to ignore alternative, holistic approaches to medicine and label them as unlegitimate. Our ability to see the needs and describe patients from other cultures should help us as nurses. Nursing professionals must be able and willing to work with people who have different approaches to their health. These are the challenges we face. The difficulty of dealing with patients from different cultures and thinking is something that novice nurses often fail at explaining. Nurses are trained to help patients understand the medicine they use and to provide answers to any questions they may have. They also attempt to change patients’ minds and increase patient interest. Since they will continue to be able to handle the same patients on their shifts, this will decrease the likelihood of repeating themselves. I can understand the clinical nurse-patient communication used to make clinical decisions, provide patient education and support. A prepared nurse can communicate better with patients, and ultimately establish trust with them. Also, my perceptions of my client will influence my support.
To provide evidence-based care in cultural areas. Research studies should be conducted to address cultural knowledge that was identified during the workshops. These recommendations offer a pathway to transcultural nursing practice. This will enable nurses in the hospital to offer culturally appropriate care to patients of diverse cultures.
