Ready or not, it's that time of year again-"The Holidays" are upon us. November and December are traditionally very busy months with both faith-based and secular holidays. The variety of celebrations makes it a good time to reflect on the diversity of our nation.
Economists largely agree that immigrants drive innovation, create businesses, raise the gross domestic product, fill gaps in labor shortages, and bring an admirable work ethic (fwd.us, 2022; George W. Bush Foundation, 2016). The birthrate in the United States is at its lowest since the 1930s. Our rapidly aging population needs to maintain a healthy ratio of older adults to working age citizens. According to fwd.us, the United States needs to double immigration levels to remain competitive in the global economy.
Although there are many examples of positive outcomes, immigration can also bring disruptive changes that must be acknowledged. New immigrants need assistance to assimilate and require culture-sensitive healthcare. Home care visits may take longer, require an interpreter, and are fraught with the potential for misunderstandings and medical error.
Dr. Mary Narayan's study in this issue-"What Constitutes Patient-Centered Care?" explores how home healthcare nurses acquired attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are consistent with patient-centered/culture-sensitive assessments and care planning. She interviewed a diverse sample of 20 home care nurses throughout the country. The participants described a caring attitude, knowledge of the cultural group, relationship-building skills, and assessment/care planning skills as the tools they used to provide culture-sensitive care.
We can all agree that patient/person-centered care is a pillar of home care nursing. Dr. Narayan logically links culture-sensitive care to patient/person-centered care. She is passionate about helping home care clinicians develop expertise in culture-sensitive care. She would love to hear from you. Email her with your thoughts and experiences at mailto:[email protected].
Happy Holidays,
REFERENCES