Multiculturalism and internationalization of nursing practice is a key area in nursing education. The goal is the internationalization of Finnish education, to which universities and universities of applied sciences invest. The number of immigrant clients, which are related to refugee status, alienation, feeling of being outside and marginality, is considered a challenge to the multicultural trend in Finnish nursing.
Often when an employee encounters a patient from a foreign culture, they usually only notice the visible part, such as gender, age, skin color, language or clothing.
When a person moves to a new living environment, almost everything changes in their life. Social relationships are largely broken and the culture and language are completely new. The rules of society usually differ from the previous ones, which means that people’s abilities and merits are not necessarily valued.
Often when an employee encounters a patient from a foreign culture, they usually only notice the visible part, such as gender, age, skin color, language or clothing. However, multicultural nursing work should take into account the patient’s cultural identity, values, worldview, beliefs and cultural customs. In addition, also his individual needs and native language.
Picture 1: Iceberg model of multicultural nursing. Picture: Senja Tuppurainen
Every patient has the right to high-quality health care and medical care. Treatment must be organised in such a way that the patient is treated with respect for his or her beliefs and privacy and that his or her dignity is not violated. It should be taken into account that everyone’s perception of health and illness and what is considered acceptable treatment practice is always fundamentally influenced by cultural values.
Picture 2: A healthcare professional must ensure that the patient receives sufficient information in an understandable manner. Picture: Senja Tuppurainen
In Finland, the use of interpretation services in the social and health care sector has increased considerably due to the growth of immigration. According to Finnish legislation, immigrants have the right to interpretation services and the right to use their native tongue in certain situations. The patient must be given a report on his or her state of health, the significance of the treatment, the different treatment options and their effects, as well as everything related to treatment that is relevant to decisions on his or her treatment. A health care professional must ensure that the patient receives sufficient information in an understandable manner. An interpreter commissioned by the authorities must always be used as an interpreter at a health care appointment, and the interpretation may not be, for example, the patient’s foreign-language child.
Blog Writers:
Tuula Airaksinen and Senja Tuppurainen Welfare and Health Coordinator -student from Savonia UAS.
REFERENCES:
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Karjalainen, Anna Liisa & Wallenius-Penttilä, Kristiina 2020. Eri tavoin kommunikoivien kohtaaminen sosiaali- ja terveysala työssä. Diak opetus61. Tampere: PunaMusta Oy.
Laki potilaan asemasta ja oikeuksista, 17.8.1992/785. Viitattu 8.8.2024. Saatavissa: https://finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1992/19920785.
Saukkonen, Pasi 2020. Suomi omaksi kodiksi: kotouttamispolitiikka ja sen kehittämismahdollisuudet. Helsinki: Gaudeamus.