I would like to think of myself as a well rounded and worldly individual, I have travelled the to different parts of the world and have been exposed to different cultures and beliefs. I have had also had the opportunity to create lasting friendships with a variety of people of different races, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs. The community in which I live is extremely diverse and has been dubbed "The Second Chance City", by Readers Digest due to its influx of foreign-born residents. We also are home to a struggling low income population that utilize the emergency department for almost all of their healthcare needs. Becoming a nurse and having the opportunity to work in such a diverse community has served to further my knowledge of the customs and beliefs of others, and how important cultural sensitivity truly is. …show more content…
The organization in which I work are recognizes the community in which it serves and provides continual education and resources needed to communicate effectively with all races and ethnicities. Our nurses undergo cultural competency and sensitivity training, utilize various methods of translation services, and have experience relating to patients of various backgrounds.Although cultural sensitivity and competence is important on all level of patient interaction, the foreign-born psychiatric population are most vulnerable to incompetence and insensitivity. In addition to the stresses of adapting to life in a new country, foreign-born patients that suffer from mental illness have increased stressors that often exacerbate symptoms. Although I have yet to allow my personal beliefs to effect the care that administer, the example I will describe will serve to show how culture effects care and how I remained a patient advocate within my role as the