Health Practice: The Interview

The nurse-client relationship is built on strong interpersonal communication. The communication should be relational, genuine and non-judgmental. Relation practice is defined as: “A humanely involved process of respectful, compassionate, and authentically interested inquiry into another (and one’s own) experiences” (Doane, 2002). The purpose of this assignment is to apply the concepts of relational inquiry when interviewing an older client and, discovering how their culture and beliefs impact their health practice. My client is a fifty-three-year-old female.

The paper illustrates an interplay of interpersonal and intrapersonal communication and discusses the complexities of relational practice. It elicits the importance of openness and acceptance towards values and beliefs different than my own.

My Client on Culture and Her Background

My client expresses culture as a way of thinking. Madeline Leininger suggests that culture is in fact: “the learned and shared beliefs, values, and lifeways of a particular group that are generally transmitted intergenerationally and influence one’s thinking and actions” (Balzer-Riley, 2008, p. 48). Moreover, my client also points out that the culture is relative and inclusive of what food we eat? How we communicate and what community we belong to?

She was raised in England and moved to Canada about twenty years ago. She mentioned there were significant cultural differences between England and Canada. However, she notices Canada is more diverse as it has people from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Even though, Canada is multicultural she likes how the people are accepting and respectful towards individual differences. My client recalls how cultural meaning of words changes as an individual immigrates. For instance, something could be ‘a pavement’ in England and be called ‘a sidewalk’ in Canada and ‘a full stop’ in England would become ‘a period’ in Canada.

My Client’s Belief and Practices

My client was born into a Buddhist family and later transformed to Christianity. Today, she feels her mind, body and spirit are at peace as she has found Lord Jesus. She knows her way to salvation is through praying to Lord Jesus. She has unwavering faith in him and his power of healing. She recalls an incident when she felt like she was dying and went to the hospital but was sent home. Then, she prayed with the priest and God spoke to her and was feeling better the next day.

My client strongly advocates against the use of antibiotics and prefers using natural remedies for treatment. She states some physicians tend to overprescribe antibiotics, prolonging suffering when it can be avoided with natural methods. She also argues that excessive use of antibiotics produces antibiotics resistance and harms natural microorganisms of the gut (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 2018). Although she dislikes the use of antibiotics, she understands when they are essential for the body to function. My client shared natural remedies for pain management and the common cold. Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine popular for its use in pain management. Acupuncture involves working with an energy “Chi” which is present in the body. Illness occurs when energy in the body is blocked (Health Link BC, 2017). It is a Chinese traditional medicine which is widely recommended for pain relief by emphasizing on distinct pressure points on the body. Moreover, my client also suggests limiting the use of antibiotics and using honey lemon and hot water for treating the common cold.

My Beliefs and Practices

As my client, my understanding of culture is also holistic and encompasses “language, ethnicity, spiritual and religious beliefs, socioeconomic class, gender, sexual orientation, age, group history, geographic origin, and education as well as childhood and life experiences (Kerr-Ross, 2014, P. 110). I also concede with my interviewee when she associates culture to cognition. It is how we inherently learn to express ourselves which is why our thought process of words such as ‘a pavement’ and ‘a full stop’ gets fabricated to the place we are living in. I do not understand religions per say or how they work. It is hard for me to believe in something abstract, and to have blind faith in It (God). I have never experienced It, and there is no evidence pointing towards Its existence. Moreover, if I were diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, I would turn to medicine for an intervention and when the time comes, let nature take its course. On the contrary, my client suggests religious connectedness as a form of coping mechanism which is strongly associated with physiological well-being (Kerr-Ross, 2014, p. 434). My client’s religious beliefs influence how she perceives her health and well-being.

Implications for Practice

My client and I are immigrants, and we both experience a language barrier. We both adjust to the use of language in Canada, however; the growing diversity in Canada points towards existing communication barriers. Obstacles in patient communication adversely impact patient safety and reduce the quality of care. Critique analysis of the interview process suggests that my own values and beliefs contradict those of my client. Since my beliefs did not align with my client, I felt alienated and unattached. I find myself empty when my client spoke about God and faith that is beyond my understanding. This points to the influence of religious and spiritual beliefs on the kind of treatment and cares preferred. Strengths and Limitations of the Interview

The process of the interview involved relational consciousness between my client and I. The interpersonal (client values and beliefs) and intrapersonal (my values and beliefs) communication probed into the layers of complexities of relational practice (Doane, 2013, p. 5). For instance, my client’s culture, values and belief system were very different from my own. Applying the relational practice to a broader context suggests an individual’s native language, values and belief systems regarding health practices pose a challenge for nursing practice. We can overcome these challenges by following the five Cs method outlined by Daone (2013, 409-10). The method illustrates the use of compassion when developing interpersonal relationships with other individuals. Moreover, genuine curiosity, mindfulness and respect are essential attributes for having meaningful conversations with individuals from different cultural backgrounds and belief systems. We should be conscious, present and self-aware of how actions and words are impacting the people around us. Furthermore, we should model professional behaviors and demonstrate competent judgement when dealing with issues of cultural sensitivity. Nonetheless, corresponding to cultural sensitivity by maintaining a safe environment by respecting and accepting differences and embracing diversity.

Conclusion

The interview has been enlightening as it has encouraged me to be more conscious when I present myself, as my perspective on health practices may or may not align with another individual’s viewpoint. I have learnt social connectedness to individuals when relating to them by being present and actively engaged in the conversation.