Question

Submit an evidence-based practice paper about cultural competency in mental health nursing. An evidence-based practice paper allows you to explore best practice and help improve client outcomes on a psychiatric unit. Your paper should describe how you, as a nurse, will include - or have included - cultural awareness in a client diagnosed with a mental illness. The person you describe could be someone in your clinical setting, someone you have worked with in the past, or a theoretical client.

Remember that culture can also include gender equality, sexual orientation, and other cultures besides race and religion - including cultures unique to one particular family.

• Assessment: Discuss what you would assess in regard to a client's culture. For example, are there specific dietary requirements? Are schedule changes necessary to avoid conflicts with religious practices? Who is the spokesperson for the family? What would you assess?

• Diagnosis: List any mental health nursing diagnoses this person has or may be at risk for. Include at least one cultural diagnosis.

• Planning: What planning needs to be done to ensure the cultural and emotional safety of the client?

Answer 1

Culturally competence in the Mental Health Nursing:
Assessment:

The nurse should keep in mind about the patient's ethnicity, race, acculturation, and language The
patient is African-American and he has somatic complaints He has no interest, anxiety, loss of
appetite, and sleep disturbances The patient has specific food practices He believes that the mental
illness is due to the gods punishment, He also believes in the traditional healing process.

Diagnosis:

1. Risk for imbalanced nutrition less than body requirements related to loss of appetite.

2. Disturbed sleep pattern related to depression.

3. Impaired verbal communication related to a language barrier.

4. Impaired social interaction related to loneliness.

5. Anxiety related to depression.

Planning:

- Maintain the nutritional needs of the patient.

- Improve behavioral changes that are socially acceptable.

- Maintain eye contact with the patient to initiate social interaction with the patient

- Respect to the patient's cultural beliefs and religious practices to establish trust of the
patient with the staff.

- The patient will not harm self or others.