Culture and Policy Development

Significance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies

The population of the United States consists of people from various cultures. Therefore, it is crucial for the healthcare practitioners to demonstrate cultural competence. The practice not only provides the facility with reputation benefits, but also improves public health (Campbell, 2011). Currently, the US is battling antibiotic-resistant bacteria challenges alongside many viruses leaving most citizens with failed respiratory systems. As a result, cultural sensitivity has become a vital necessity in the US.

Globalization has made it possible for many people across the globe to settle in the US. Unfortunately, some of these immigrants are vulnerable to various bacterial and viral infections. In the long run, these ailments not only affect the particular ethnicities but also spread even to their neighbors leaving hundreds of people sick. No matter how vigorous the public health campaigns may appear, they might not help different ethnicities in curbing these illnesses. For instance, the immigrants might show some reluctance in adopting the policies that have proved useful in the US in the past (Lee et al., 2002).

Moreover, some of the immigrants in the US may be new to the government-sponsored health care initiatives thus not willing to participate in them. For instance, some of the immigrants are from developing countries where corruption as well as institutional incompetence characterizes home operations (Campbell, 2011). Consequently, government funds meant for improving public health end up in the pockets of corrupt officials. The result is that the unsuspecting citizens do not have an idea of the health services they should be enjoying. When they move to other states, they still have the mentality that the government does not have a part to play in necessitating good public health. As a result, they are reluctant to accept such offers when presented to them in a foreign country (Allen & Heald, 2004).

Developing a Policy that Gets Community Support

All the medical personnel should take the issue of cultural sensitivity very seriously as a way of improving public health. This can be demonstrated through designing public health campaigns that point out at the cultural diversities in the US as well as in the world (Lee et al., 2002). Therefore, it pays if such campaigns reach out to the literate majority in each community and use them as a tool to convince their larger communities to undertake the recommended medical procedures (Campbell, 2011). On the same note, such personalities are essential in advising the campaign drivers on how to shape their campaigns so that they can appeal to a bigger audience since they already know what attracts fellow community members.

Additionally, when the public health campaigns aim at particular communities, the service announcement should be delivered in a language the target audience can understand. As a result, it shall be an easier task curbing the spread of communicable diseases. Moreover, medical practitioners should invest a lot of time in guiding the target communities about personal hygiene. Besides, they should introduce health care facilities in areas occupied by the vulnerable communities. The bottom line of generating meaningful policies is to make them appealing to the risk communities (Fortier, 2008).

Another way to get community support for the policies is through offering cultural sensitivity training to the staff members of any medical facility. Most often than not, employees in the healthcare avenues will interact with patients from the newly established communities. However, unless they exercise cultural sensitivity, the interaction might not yield any health benefits (Porter, 2006). Some of these patients may have their roots in countries that do not have a health care system. Alternatively, the new communities might differ significantly from the larger society that the attending personnel encounter on a daily basis.

Most people who leave their countries and settle in foreign lands find that nobody values their customs and traditions even to the smallest degree. Therefore, it would make them feel welcome and part of the larger society when their attending personnel demonstrate respect for their beliefs. As a result, they enjoy the sense of belonging, and the professional takes advantage of this newly established relationship to educate the client further on the effective ways of curbing various ailments. Moreover, the physician can explain the significance of some medical procedures such as vaccination. Generally, policies should not only encourage people to embrace different westernized treatments but also ensure that the provisions are available (Fortier, 2008). A lot of people would wish to seek medical treatment, but they lack the access.

How to Engage the Community in Developing a Policy

One way of engaging the community in policy development is through becoming conversant with many cultures within a given community. For instance, learning about their language and even using their local dialect to communicate would appeal to them thus increasing their reception of the westernized treatment (Porter, 2006). Moreover, finding out the type of approach that the community deems respectful and using it in addressing them makes them warm up to the nurse. As a result, they give their views about the policy whereby a nurse uses this feedback to design an initiative that serves them better.

My Insights Utilizing the Learning Resources

In conclusion, globalization has seen many people settling in the US with some of them bringing certain diseases and thus transmitting them to the larger population. Therefore, it calls for the healthcare practitioners to practice cultural competence as a way of convincing the risk communities to undertake conventional medications. In developing public health policies, it is crucial for the project managers to engage the community leaders since they act as a guide in advising them about the content that will appeal to most members. Getting the community members to participate in policy development involves learning their culture such as language and acting in a manner that suggests that you respect and value their beliefs. In return, they shall give you ideas on how to develop a public health policy that appeals to them.

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