Culture, Gender, and Generational Diversity

1. Culture, Gender, and Generational Diversity Communication Barriers Rebecca Heiremann Viktoriya Matsko Ashley Seeley

2. Goals and Objectives • Expanding the knowledge of communication barriers and principles: • Stereotyping • Cultural Diversity • Gender Diversity • Generational Diversity • Apply Principles to: • African American • Hispanic/Latino • Asian American

3. Stereotyping Pros • Easy categorization • Minimizes anxiety • Gives a baseline Cons • Discrimination • Failure to know patient

4. Culturally Diverse Communication • Intercultural Communication:Conversations between people from different cultures • Perception of relationship between care provider and client is just as important as the words used to communicate • Interactions take place within transcultural nursing • Key elements to Understanding Transcultural Nursing • Space and Distance • Eye Contact • Time and Punctuality • Touch • Communication

5. Communication Principles • Respect for the client’s belief in folk and natural traditional remedies • Familiarity with formal and informal sources of health care in the cultural community, including churches, medicine men/women, curanderos, and other faith healers • Continuous use of active listening • strategies, with frequent validation • to ensure the cultural appropriateness • of provider assumptions • Remembering that the client • is a person first and a cultural • person second

6. African Americans • Account for 13.5% of population • Cultural Heritage traces back to slavery and deprivation • Family • Considered primary and most important tradition • Depend on kinship networks for support • Caring for less fortunate family members viewed as resource strength • Social Interactions/Religion • Establishing trust is essential • Allow client control over his/her health care • Awareness of community resources • Major Religions=Christianity, Islam, Pentecostal, some ancient religious practices (voodoo) • Health Beliefs/Practices • Low income client less likely to use preventative health services • Tend to rely on informal networks in the community until problem becomes crisis

7. Hispanic/Latinos • Account for 15% of population • Many do not speak English well enough to negotiate in the Healthcare • Family (Familismo) • Strong value in the Hispanic Community • Family is center of Hispanic life- “Family members first, • individuals second” • Families show love and concern in health care situations by • pampering client • Social Interactions/Religion • Extroverted people who value interpersonal relationships • Nurses viewed as authority figure • Clients look for “personalismo” and “confianza” from nurse/provider • Take religion (Catholicism) very seriously • Health Beliefs/Practices • Identify a “hot-cold balance” • Modesty important to women • Men may view asking for help as a weakness

8. Asian American • Account for 5% of the population • Jokes and humor not appreciated • Value hard work, education, • Emphasis on politeness and correct behavior • Family • Individual privacy uncommon • Place family before individual welfare • Tradition strongly regulates individual behavior • Social Interactions • Healthcare providers considered health experts • Favor harmonious relationships/confrontation avoided • May not request pain medication until pain is quite severe • Health Care Beliefs/ Practices • “Ayurveda” way of living with awareness and promoting longevity • Integrates mind, body and spirit as a whole • Harmony between yin and yang

9. Hispanics/Latinos: Gender Roles • Gender roles are very rigid. • Men: • Viewed as the head of the household and the decision maker. • Hispanic men view asking for help as a weakness, incompatible with being machismo, which means manly. • Women: • Are socialized to serve their husbands and children. • Modesty is important to Hispanic women. They may be reluctant to discuss matters of sexuality. Women may also be reluctant to express their private concerns in front of their children, even if their children are grown.

10. African Americans: Gender Roles • Women: • Women are considered the head of the family, consistent with tradition in many African villages. • However, the grandmother is considered the most important woman. • African American women are respected for their independence and strength. • Women are more prominent in this culture.

11. Asian Americans: Gender Roles • Men: • Primary authority and decision maker. • May have a difficult time disclosing personal information to a female nurse unless the nurse explains why the data is necessary for care, because in serious matters, women are not considered as knowledgeable as men. • Women: • Are expected to be passive, and nurture the well-being of the family. • The mother forms a close bond with her children.

12. Men • Relate to others as rivals • Tend to be independent • Men prefer a greater interpersonal distance between themselves and others • Demonstrate greater aggressiveness • Use gestures more often • Often will not ask for advice or help • Keep concerns to themselves
 Women • Seek out relationships with others • Desire a closeness • Express themselves more in private • Demonstrate more effective nonverbal communication • Are more open to share problems • Tend to ask for advice or help • Want to understand concerns and problems

13. Communicating with Older Adults • Requires knowledge in: • Significantly different life experiences • Physical Changes in Normal Aging • Age-related changes in cognition • Psychosocial and enviromental changes • Erik Erikson’s model

14. Communicating with Older Adults • Assessment: • Assessing sensory deficits: -Hearing -Vision • Assessing functional ability • Assessing and responding to psychosocial needs • Factors blocking Communication: • Cliche reassurances • Giving advice • Answering your own questions • Giving excessive praise/reprimands • Defending against complaint • Using parenting approachesand behaviors

15. Communicating with Children • Requires modifications in: • Patience • Imagnation • Creative applications of theraputic communications • Nurse must remember: • Child’s cognitive development -Piaget’sstages • Child’senvironment • Child’sgender • Parents’ influences

16. Communicating with Children • Assessment • Regression as a form of communication • Age-appropriatecommunication • Factors: • Infants • Toddlers • Preschoolers • School-aged children • Adolescents • Strategiesfor communication: • Active listening • Authenticity and Veracity • Conveying respect • Providinganticipatory guidance to the child

17. Video: How are the nurses interacting with children?

18. References Arnold, E. C., & Underman-Boggs, K. (2011). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. Understanding transcultural nursing. (2005). Nursing2005 Career Directory, 35,14-18. Walter vomSaal (2005). Gender differences in communication styles. Retrieved from: http://employees.oneonta.edu/vomsaaw/ w/psy257/handouts/gender_diffs_in_communication.htm