Community Nursing Ageing Essay

Community Nursing Ageing Essay

Community Nursing Ageing

Nurse-Patient Communication
Effective communication is essential in nursing, and it gets more complex when patients come from various backgrounds and circumstances. This essay investigates the elements influencing nurses’ comfort in communicating with patients, such as age, culture, race, gender, and living situation variations. These factors offer obstacles and opportunities in the nurse-patient relationship, influencing the overall quality of care. Healthcare workers may better understand the intricacies of nurse-patient relationships and work toward enhancing patient-centered care for people from all walks of life by investigating these elements.

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Factors Affecting the Level of Comfort of Nurses when Communicating with Patients
To provide high-quality care, a nurse must be able to interact effectively with patients from various backgrounds and situations. Age, culture, race, gender, and living situation disparities can affect how comfortable a nurse interacts with the patient, each offering different possibilities and challenges for improving the nurse-patient connection.
Age has a significant impact on how people communicate. When working with children, I must tailor my approach to their developmental level, using age-appropriate language, visual aids, and a calm, reassuring tone. On the other hand, patience and understanding are essential while dealing with senior patients since possible hearing and memory problems can require slower, more deliberate communication. If I am insufficiently prepared to modify my communication style to fit the specific requirements of patients of different ages, discomfort might arise. It might be challenging to adjust to these changes, but doing so is necessary for adequate care.
Cultural competence is essential because patients from different backgrounds bring their own beliefs, attitudes, and healthcare practices to the treatment setting. I may feel less at ease when communicating with patients if I am unfamiliar with their cultural beliefs. It is essential to comprehend these cultural variations to guarantee respectful and productive communication. By developing my cultural sensitivity and knowledge, I can better negotiate these differences, improving patient outcomes and averting discomfort or miscommunication.
Race can have a significant influence on how a nurse and patient communicate. In the past, specific communities have experienced mistrust, systematic bias, and healthcare inequities. Individuals with diverse racial backgrounds may bring distinct experiences and expectations to healthcare. Recognizing these differences, actively addressing them, and providing equitable treatment are the essential obligations I always try to look out for in the workplace. Insufficient acknowledgment or attention to these differences has always brought discomfort when interacting with different patients.
Gender disparities can affect how medical professionals view and treat their patients. Some patients may have gender preferences for their caregivers, so respecting their interests is critical. Moreover, fostering a secure and welcoming atmosphere depends on recognizing gender identification and using proper pronouns. If healthcare workers fail to identify and respect a patient’s gender choices or identity, they risk compromising the nurse-patient relationship and the quality of care delivered (Gupta et al., 2019).
Another significant factor that may impact nurse-patient interactions is living situations. Patients who are homeless, for instance, could feel more exposed to guilt, fear, or vulnerability, which could make them less reluctant to share their symptoms or medical history. On the other hand, patients in long-term care institutions may have particular concerns or emotional needs due to their living arrangements; they are forced to adapt to the new hospital environment. Modifying communication to fit these circumstances is critical so that patients feel heard and valued. If a healthcare giver is unprepared to handle the emotional challenges of various living situations, miscommunication may occur, which could impede the effective management of the patients (Cvetanovska et al., 2023).

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How Older Individuals Have Been Treated Over Time (In the 2000s)
Reflecting on how older people (OAs) were treated in my family, culture, neighborhood, and society throughout the 2000s reveals that views and practices toward OAs have changed significantly. These changes reflect how society’s values have changed, how technology has advanced, and how healthcare has improved, all of which have influenced how OAs are viewed and treated.
In the 2000s, I saw a change in my family’s approach to treating OAs. Elders held a highly esteemed position due to their previous knowledge and expertise in a more hierarchical setting. They frequently took center stage at family get-togethers and processes of decision-making. However, people’s interaction with OAs has changed due to shifting family dynamics, such as dual-income households and greater geographical mobility. While respect for elders continues, there is a rising reliance on formal healthcare facilities to handle their complicated medical needs. This change reflects the broader societal shift towards professionalized care for older people.
In my culture, which places a high importance on close-knit family relationships and customs, the extended family has historically taken care of OAs. A significant shift occurred in the 2000s as people moved away from their hometowns to pursue jobs and education due to the quickening pace of life. Because it became more difficult for families to offer full-time care, the number of assisted living and nursing homes for older adults increased generally. Nonetheless, there was still a strong cultural focus on family support for OAs, and frequent visits and engagement in their life remained essential aspects of the culture.
During the 2000s, I witnessed an increasing awareness of the needs of OAs in my community. Many initiatives were created to raise the standard of living of older individuals. These featured senior centers, recreational activities, and support services to cater to their unique social and health requirements. Recognizing the value of inclusivity, the community provided areas for OAs to interact and have active lives, signaling a change toward an atmosphere that is more age-friendly.
OAs started receiving more age- and rights-sensitive treatment in society. Legislative safeguards against age discrimination and elder abuse were among the measures put in place to safeguard the rights and dignity of older adults. Healthcare systems have also evolved to meet the shifting needs of an older population. The rise in geriatric medicine and OA specialized treatment reflected the growing awareness of the distinct healthcare needs of these individuals.

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Aging Biases that Have Been Witnessed/Experienced
Aging biases are widespread in society and significantly impact nursing practice. These biases, which contribute to ageism and lower the standard of care and treatment given to this population, are frequently the product of misconceptions and preconceived notions about older persons. As a nurse, I have seen firsthand several aging biases that healthcare professionals must be conscious of and actively combat. The notion that older adults are weak, fragile, and fundamentally less capable than their younger counterparts is one prevalent stereotype. Depending on the viewpoint of the healthcare provider, this bias may lead to offering suboptimal care to these patients. For example, because they believe older patients may not tolerate surgery or aggressive therapies well, some healthcare professionals may be reluctant to offer them. Conversely, overprescription of medications and therapies may happen when medical professionals consider senior citizens to be weaker patients and suggest a lot of treatments that may not be the best for them (Burnes et al., 2019).
The belief that cognitive deterioration is an inevitable aspect of aging is another bias I have encountered. This misconception may result in underdiagnosis and undertreatment of mental health issues such as dementia. Medical professionals may believe that dementia or forgetfulness is a natural aspect of aging, which could postpone diagnosis and treatment in patients who are not affected by aging. The emotional and psychological health of older persons is sometimes disregarded, in my experience, with the assumption that they are less able to feel and express complicated emotions.
I have consciously worked to combat these biases in my nursing practice by standing up for the rights and dignity of senior citizens. I actively work to communicate with patients and their families openly and courteously, paying attention to them and including them in joint decision-making. For older persons to be holistically well, it is equally critical to acknowledge and treat the emotional and psychological effects of aging. I believe that addressing aging biases requires a strong emphasis on awareness-raising and education. Healthcare workers and nursing students should get training that emphasizes the value of avoiding ageism and stereotypes. More personalized care can result from aggressively dispelling age-related myths and encouraging an age-inclusive healthcare environment.
Education Plan to Address Biases Towards Older Adults in the Community
Objectives
a. Raise public consciousness of the prevalence and impact of biases against older people.
b. Motivate people in the community to confront and question common biases about senior citizens.
c. Encourage the development of an age-inclusive community that accords older people with dignity and respect.
d. Increase in understanding and empathy for senior citizens’ struggles and life experiences.
e. Give community members the instruments and materials they need to fight ageism actively.
Target Audience
The target audience for this education plan includes community members of all ages, local organizations, schools, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

Implementation
a. Plan talks and workshops for the entire community to inform people about ageism, its manifestations, and its impacts. Invite specialists, senior citizens, and activists to share their knowledge and perspectives.
b. Start a social media campaign to disseminate educational materials, personal narratives, and videos that illustrate the detrimental effects of ageism and promote compassion.
c. Collaborate with neighborhood schools to provide age-sensitive education in the curriculum. Instruct learners on fostering relationships between generations and the detrimental consequences of ageism.
d. Provide students with opportunities to interact with senior citizens by organizing events such as intergenerational storytelling, community service projects, and pen-pal programs.
e. Organize engaging seminars for community members focusing on dispelling misconceptions, listening with empathy, and communication skills when working with older adults.
f. Encourage empathy and understanding by using role-playing activities to give participants a firsthand look at ageism from the viewpoint of older persons.
g. Work with neighborhood senior centers, medical professionals, and advocacy organizations to provide community resources and increase awareness of ageism.
h. Provide training to local organizations, such as healthcare facilities, to improve their staff’s cultural competency when dealing with older patients.
Conclusion
Excellent patient-nurse communication is essential to providing high-quality nursing care. Age, culture, race, gender, and living situations affect how comfortable a nurse is working with patients. To foster empathy, rapport, and trust in the nurse-patient communication, it is imperative to recognize these discrepancies and take proactive measures to address them. Healthcare practitioners can manage these issues and deliver more inclusive, courteous, and tailored care by implementing tactics like cultural competency, active listening, empathy, and training into practice. Nurses may fight ageism and build age-inclusive communities by raising awareness and educating the public. This will help to establish an atmosphere that is more respectful and caring for senior citizens.

References
Burnes, D., Sheppard, C., Henderson, C. R., Wassel, M., Cope, R., Barber, C., & Pillemer, K. (2019). Interventions to reduce ageism against older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 109(8), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2019.305123
Cvetanovska, N., Jessup, R. L., Wong Shee, A., Rogers, S., & Beauchamp, A. (2023). Patients’ perspectives of factors influencing active participation in healthcare interactions: A qualitative study. Patient Education and Counseling, 114, 107808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107808
Gupta, G. R., Oomman, N., Grown, C., Conn, K., Hawkes, S., Shawar, Y. R., Shiffman, J., Buse, K., Mehra, R., Bah, C. A., Heise, L., Greene, M. E., Weber, A. M., Heymann, J., Hay, K., Raj, A., Henry, S., Klugman, J., & Darmstadt, G. L. (2019). Gender equality and gender norms: framing the opportunities for health. The Lancet, 393(10190), 2550–2562. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)30651-8

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rite a 1500-1700 word essay addressing each of the following points/questions. Be sure to completely answer all the questions for each bullet point. Separate each section in your paper with a clear heading that allows your professor to know which bullet you are addressing in that section of your paper. Support your ideas with at least two (2) sources in your essay. Make sure to reference the citations using the APA writing style for the essay. The cover page and reference page do not count toward the minimum word amount. Review the rubric criteria for this assignment.

Answer each of the following prompts:

How does a person’s difference in age, culture, race, gender, and living situation impact your comfort as a nurse in communicating with them?

While growing up, how were OAs (older adults) treated in your family, culture, community, and in society (identify the year range)?

Discuss what aging biases you have witnessed &/or experienced and describe how these issues have impacted your current nursing practice.

Create a community education plan to address biases towards older adults.