NURS 6512 DIVERSITY AND HEALTH ASSESSMENTS
All people requiring health care services should be able to access health care providers anytime. In such a setup, health care systems should be designed to have adequate resources and staff with adequate knowledge about people’s health needs. Unfortunately, such a situation seems hypothetical since not all populations are treated the same. Communities also comprise people with varying needs due to socioeconomic, cultural, lifestyle, and other differences. This paper explains factors associated with a 32-year-old pregnant lesbian with a strong family history of diabetes and the interaction process.
Factors Associated with the Patient
Living as a lesbian is a challenge to many people. When dealing with such groups, health care providers must be very sensitive about the questions they ask and how they interact with them. TJ admits to being a lesbian and has received sperm from a local sperm bank. The progress of her pregnancy has no complications, which is encouraging from a health perspective. However, she belongs to a wider group (LGBT) that has been on the verge of community discrimination for a long time. When looking at the issues facing the LGBT community, Singh and Durso (2017) posited that LGBTs are highly discriminated against, and their sexuality affects many issues such as educational attainment, financial security, and subjective perception of social status. Society views them differently, and they are likely to be denied opportunities, which may inhibit their access to health care services.
The lifestyle and spirituality of lesbians are other cultural factors to consider when engaging TJ. The lifestyle of most people from the LGBT community is characterized by substance abuse which they use as a safe space to deal with cultural and social pressures (Huebner et al., 2015). Their spirituality usually declines over time as they turn away from religion. The declined spiritual belief stems from religious discrimination, which does not promote such groups’ accommodation in religious and ministerial associations (Kasai, 2020). Such problems are likely to be part of TJ’s everyday life. Considering that she belongs to a lineage with a history of diabetes, it is crucial to examine her situation in-depth to understand all the factors that might affect her health adversely and recommend the best interventions.
Sensitive Issues
When engaging a lesbian patient, issues to do with sexuality must be handled sensitively. It is unethical to go deep on matters and ask why TJ chose to become a lesbian. The other issue is the choice of sperm donation. Such issues are sensitive and contradict the principle of privacy. Also, they affect the patient-nurse relationship since they can make the patient uncomfortable. Health care providers are also advised to be culturally competent to promote respect and mutual understanding between them and patients (Ball et al., 2019). Respecting their views and avoiding sensitive questions is one way of achieving this objective.
Questions to Build TJ’s Health History
- Who do you live with at home? Are they supportive?
- For the past month, have you attended any support group that discusses health and personal matters?
- What is your leading fear when you visit a health care facility or when sick?
- Have you faced any unusual feelings due to your pregnancy?
- Do you experience any discrimination at the family and community level you would like to share with us?
- Do you think the care you receive addresses the needs of all population groups?
In conclusion, the proper treatment of a patient depends on sufficient data. The data should contain information regarding the patient’s condition and factors that affect health outcomes, such as lifestyle and socioeconomic status. As a lesbian, TJ is prone to social discrimination that can inhibit her access to health care services. She also belongs to a community that is vulnerable to substance abuse. Accordingly, all this information should be collected as part of her health assessment to ensure that the recommendations match her needs.
