Alternative Text Option: Cultural Sensitivity

Introduction

Welcome to the simulation learning experience. During this experience, you will be interacting with a scenario between a Health Care Administrator (HCA), a client, and a family member. The experience is presented in the following format:

• Scenario description
• Video scenes
• Questions for points
• Prompts to move to the next level
• Opportunity to play again

Scenario Detail

In Canada, in 2016, 22.0% of the total population declared a language other than English and French as a mother tongue (Statistics Canada, 2018).

In this experience, you will meet Mrs. Singh who has been admitted to the hospital. She does not speak or understand English. She is a widow, and her oldest son arrives as the health care administrator (HCA) is checking Mrs. Singh in and wishes to discuss the medical plan. Within the South Asian household hierarchy, the patriarch and family provider is usually the father or eldest son. Traditional families uphold him as the ultimate decision-maker.

Let’s see how it goes!

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the impact of poor therapeutic communication in health care settings.
• Identify the benefits of therapeutic communication techniques in health care settings.
• Adjust communication to meet the client’s health care needs in health care settings.

Please be advised that some viewers may find the following scenes upsetting or triggering.

Cultural Sensitivity Scene 1

Watch Scene 1

Congratulations you have reached level 1!

To reach level 2, choose your next move

Do you want to answer a question for 2 points?

Question: Consider the video you just watched. Identify what the HCA has done correctly in this opening scene? Select all that apply.

1. Greeted the client’s son and introduced themselves to the client’s son.
2. Looked directly at the client
3. Warm Greeting
4.  Introduces by using their name and their role

Solution: All four answers are correct. These are all correct actions for the HCA.

Or you can watch the video again

Let’s see what happens next.

Watch Cultural Sensitivity Scene 2 N

What did you notice about the client?

To earn more points, choose your next move

Answer a question for 3 points

Question: Does the HCA’s response reassure the client and their son that the client’s health care needs will be met?

1. Yes, the HCA is safeguarding the client’s privacy and it is none of the son’s business.
2.  No, the HCA is focused on policy and ignores the needs of the client and their family.

Solution: Answer two is correct, while privacy is important the HCA has blocked further communication by her responses and may not recognize the supportive role the son plays for their mother.

Identify the client’s non-verbal communication for 2 points.

Question: What did you notice about the HCA’s responses to the son?

1.  The HCA dismisses the son’s question.
2.  The HCA crosses her arms and looks annoyed
3.  The HCA answers the client with a no and shakes her head blocking communication.

Solution: All three answers are correct. The HCA responses include dismissing the son’s question, crossing her arms, looking annoyed, answering the client with a no and shaking her head blocking communication.

Or Re-Watch Scene 2

What happens next?

Reflection

Did you notice the HCA adjusted their communication in the last scene?

• Why did the HCA adjust their communication?
• How do you think the HCA knew that they needed to adjust their communication?
• What was the immediate result you noticed in the client’s verbal and non-verbal communication?
• What specific therapeutic communication techniques did the HCA use?

Summary

Therapeutic communication with clients is essential. HCA should be aware that there are many cultural differences and ways of accessing health care services. HCA should continue to develop their therapeutic communication competencies by recognizing and adjusting their behaviours to meet the client’s health care needs.

Therapeutic communication is complex and requires a lifetime commitment of reflection, practice, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes. 

Game Over

Congratulations you have completed the game!