Running head: CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN NURSING

Cultural Competence in Nursing

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Impairment in newborn babies subjects their parents to psychological problems like

denial, disbelief, shock, and anxiety. The psychological problems are associated with fear of

judgment by other people, guilty conscious, and uncertainty regarding babies’ future

(Huiracocha et al., 2017). At this point, nurses are required to support the affected families in

coping with conflicting emotions and caring for the newborn baby with complications. In this

case, culturally competent and evidence-based nursing can support Veronica’s family in dealing

with intense emotions and caring for her.

Veronica is depicted as a 5-mont-old baby with Down’s syndrome. The evidence-based

practice would involve understanding the Down’s syndrome genetics before holding an

interactive session with Veronica and her parents. Gathering sufficient knowledge about this

condition would enable nurses to maximize the quality of service offered to their patients. The

strategy would maximize the satisfaction and welfare of Veronica and her parents. Therefore,

nurses should understand Down’s syndrome as a congenital disorder caused by chromosomal

defects. In the U.S., approximately 6,000 children are born with this defect annually (Belleza,

2018). Although Down’s syndrome occurs as a genetic condition, it is not recognized as a

hereditary condition. Down’s syndrome occurs when an individual is born with an extra

chromosome 21. The complication is caused by the cell division error during the creation of

ovum or spermatozoa. The extra chromosome 21 in the human body creates intellectual

disability, immune problems, physical development problems, and physical deformities.

Individuals with Down’s syndrome may exhibit physical characteristics like tongue

protrusion, flat nasal bridge, poor muscle tone, slanted eyes, and small chin. Different screening

strategies can facilitate the detection of the condition, which includes neck x-rays, hearing

assessment, heart rate assessment through ultrasound, and eyes check. In this case, nurses can
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conduct hearing and eyes check when Veronica turns six months old. Diagnostic tests conducted

to monitor Veronica’s condition include a thyroid test and genetic analysis test (Perkins, 2017).

Finally, nurses should understand that Down’s syndrome does not have any medication or

treatment option. The available treatments for this condition prevent the development of

additional complications like leukemia, vision and hearing impairment, seizures, immune

disorders, sleep apnea, and obesity. Caring for individuals with this condition also protects them

from heart defects, spinal injuries, and gastrointestinal tract complications.

Cultural competence can also enable nurses to maximize the welfare of Veronica and her

parents. Cultural competence involves comprehending the patients’ cultural and religious

backgrounds. In this case, nurses should strive to understand Veronica’s parents’ perceptions,

values, and beliefs. Integrative cultural beliefs and needs with the nursing practice would enable

nurses to offer their clients individualized care (Choi, Lee & Yoo, 2010). Therefore, the nurses

should focus on assessing the family’s needs, preferences, and cultural background before

embarking on the treatment process. The assessment would enable nurses to understand the

impact of cultural values on perceptions about health. The assessment would also enable nurses

to understand the decision-making hierarchy in the family (Engebretson, Mahoney & Carlson,

2008). Cultural competence would enable the nurses to maximize the family’s engagement in

the care delivery process for their child.

The nurses should understand that Veronica’s Down’s syndrome would expose her

parents to disbelief, denial, anxiety, and shock. Notably, the parents may have uncertainties

regarding their daughter’s future. For instance, the parents may fear that the development of

further complications may worsen Veronica’s condition. However, culturally competent and

evidence-based nursing would boost their confidence and hope for a better future for their child.
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Understanding the condition’s genetic characteristics would enable the nurses to protect

Veronica from complications. Moreover, cultural competence would maximize parent’s

engagement in the care program for their daughter.

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References

Belleza, M. (2018). Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21). Nurseslabs. Retrieved from

https://nurseslabs.com/down-syndrome-trisomy-21/

Choi, E., Lee, Y., & Yoo, I. (2010). Factors associated with emotional response of parents at the

time of diagnosis of down syndrome. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing,

16(2011), 113-120. https://doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6155.2011.00276.x

Engebretson, J., Mahoney, J., & Carlson, E. D. (2008). Cultural competence in the era of

evidence-based practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 24(3), 172-178.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2007.10.012

Huiracocha, L., Almeida, C., Huiracocha, K., Arteaga, J., Arteaga, A., & Blume, S. (2017).

Parenting children with Down syndrome: Societal influences. Journal of Child Health

Care, 21(4), 488-497. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493517727131

Perkins, A. (2017). The lowdown on Down syndrome. Nursing made Incredibly Easy, 15(2), 40-

46.