Community, Culture, and Nursing

The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered.

By the due date assigned, post a response to one of the two discussion topics below, using information from the lectures, reading assignments, library resources, and Internet resources. All responses should be posted to the appropriate topic in the Discussion Area.

Topic 1: Community-Based Nursing

Nursing services play an important role in caring for patients and families in the community and providing them the support they need. For patients with problems ranging from chronic health conditions to need of elder care, nursing has proved itself an important part of the healthcare team. In fact, many people now prefer sending their elderly parents to a daycare for nursing, rather than to a long-term care facility.

For this topic, interview a community-based nurse or nurse practitioner who sees individuals in the home setting. Ask the following questions:

• What are your job responsibilities?
• Does a correlation exist between your job description and your practice?
• Are you involved in policy formulation that affects client services?
• Do you belong to a professional organization related to your current job position?

Topic 2: Culturally Competent Care

A broad range of cultures exists in the world today. Nursing professionals often interact with people from cultural backgrounds that differ from their own.

• Share an experience where you cared for a patient in the healthcare setting who was from a culture different from your own. How did you accommodate this patient’s needs? How would you apply the Purnell Model to future cultural encounters?
• Which one of the twelve domains of culture from the Purnell Model do you feel is most important? Why?

Citations should conform to APA guidelines. You may use this APA Citation Helper as a convenient reference for properly citing resources or connect to the APA Style website through the APA icon below.

Before the end of the week, comment on at least two of your peers’ responses. You can ask questions or respond generally to the overall experience. Be objective, clear, and concise. Always use constructive language, even in criticism, to work toward the goal of positive progress. All comments should be posted to the appropriate topic in the Discussion Area.