Labor and Birth Processes
The knowledge on cultural preferences is vital during labor and birth processes. This knowledge will have a great influence when deciding the type of care to be provided. The processes of labor and birth are common in all cultures, and giving birth could be described as being common among all the women. However, the process is unique among women as they all undergo different and unique experiences (Tjale & De, 2013). Women from a common cultural setting, in most cases, undergo similar labor and birth processes. Culture, therefore, plays vital roles in the way women perceive and get ready for their birthing experience, as all cultures have their own values, beliefs, and attitudes surrounding labor and birth processes. Cultural knowledge has positive effects on labor and birth processes as the RN will apply the knowledge on different patients from different cultural settings. The patients will be attended to with respect to their culture, and hence generating fruitful and successful processes.
Cultural knowledge allows practitioners to empathize, understand, and appreciate a given culture. As a result, the practitioners are able to deliver effective and appropriate healthcare through changes in techniques and approaches. Cultural knowledge is important in identifying bias and barriers that could exist when responding to clients from different cultural settings. The knowledge would also help in utilizing sensitive and suitable interventions that are culturally accepted, with regard to language spoken, ethnicity, and race (Williams, 2014). This will help in recognizing available resources that would eliminate communication and language barriers. Lastly, the knowledge may be essential in assessing the culturally varied needs of the patient.
All health practitioners should have an excellent understanding of cultural knowledge, and they should be conversant with different cultures’ beliefs and values concerning labor and birth processes. More so, all RNs and other health practitioners who are directly connected to labor and birth processes should be more informed about culture, and its impact on labor and birth processes. In some cases, a member of healthcare team may be opposed to certain modifications made in an attempt to meet some cultural requests of the family and patient. The healthcare practitioner’s arguments must be put into consideration as traditional approaches may at times fail to draw together some vital information required in providing the right medical care (Purnell, 2013).
According to the readings, all women undergo similar processes of labor and birth, although they vary at some degrees due to cultural differences. There is, therefore a need for instillation of cultural knowledge in all health practitioners for efficiency in their chores. There is a need to listen to each other’s opinions when attending to patients as different health practitioners are best in different fields. For this reason, there is a need to listen and take into consideration the arguments of a health practitioner who is opposed to certain modifications (Williams, 2014).
References
Purnell, L. D. (2013). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
Tjale, A., & De, V. L. (2013). Cultural issues in health and health care: A resource book for southern Africa. Cape Town: Juta Academic.
Williams, M. (2014). Comprehensive hospital medicine: An evidence based approach. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.