New STTI book encourages addressing personal biases for positive patient interactions
As a result of a rapidly changing health care environment, nurses may be confronted by cultural differences and certain subconscious personal prejudices. In a health care environment, recognizing and confronting these prejudices are critical to excellent patient care.
Written by an expert clinical nurse researcher, Cultural Sensibility in Healthcare: A Personal & Professional Guidebook is a comprehensive handbook that helps health care professionals become aware of their prejudices and address them in order to foster positive interactions with their patients.
Published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), author Sally N. Ellis Fletcher, PhD, RN, FNAP, offers the first book geared toward helping health care professionals recognize and confront cultural biases through thoughtful reasoning, responsiveness, and considerate actions. Fletcher uses vignettes, exercises in critical thinking, and journaling to illustrate her points.
The book highlights not only racial diversity, but also other differences that exist from individual to individual, such as gender, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. Cultural Sensibility in Healthcare offers solutions to promote inclusivity and avoid any use of “us” and “them” mentalities.
“We owe it to ourselves and to health care consumers to be present during encounters and hear from the patient’s perspective the health and illness issues they are confronting,” said Fletcher.
By embracing cultural issues and situations through thoughtful reasoning and considerate interactions, health care providers can supply patients of all races, colors, and creeds with the care they need.
The book is available at www.nursingknowledge.org/sttibooks.
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