3
RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPECTATIONS
prepare the patient in readiness for the doctor. Such a response would make the relatives be at
ease and appreciate the work that she is doing. Additionally, when she realizes that the relatives
do not approve of she is giving the patient a sponge bath, the best thing is to politely enquire on
the best way to do it. Thus, the relatives will note that she is concerned and accord her the best
environment to provide nursing care for the patient.
As an essential requirement, Christy should learn the art of bathing whereby she would
be required to carry two towels as well as soaps to be used separately for the upper and lowers
parts of the body during the sponge bath (Matteliano & Street, 2012). From the reaction of the
relatives of Romani origin, it is apparent that they are sensitive to cleanliness and how the
patient’s food is handled. For example, it is possible that they disapproved of Christy battering
the patient’s bread because she is the same nurse who had bathed the patient ("Core Concepts,"
2017). Hence, next time she encounters such as a patient, it would be critical to have two
different nurses to handle the issues of bathing and food separately.
Reflection
There are four learning activities in the case study. The denominating factor emerging
from the learning activities is that cultural competence is essential in nursing practice because it
determines the ability of a nurse to relate well with patients from different cultural backgrounds.
In regards to the first learning activity concerning the inside story, it is apparent that Christy was
not prepared to deal with difficult patients. Dealing with her first patient, Julie, was smooth
because Julie’s mother was a nurse and understood the experience of being a nurse ("Core
Concepts," 2017). In contrast, the second patient was unconventional because the relatives of the
patients had some laxity in taking the child to a hospital and they bombarded her with questions
all the time ("Core Concepts," 2017). From the two experiences, one can learn the importance of
