Social And Cultural Influences
Question
This paper focuses on the social and cultural influences in your life.
The student will submit a paper that describes the social and cultural influences having shaped his/her lifestyle and career choice as a Registered Nurse. Implications of those influences for the student’s role as an advanced practice
nurse should be identified.


Solution
Social And Cultural Influences
Career choice is the process by which
people pick one profession over another in the face of other possibilities and
personal preferences (Marznaki et al., 2021). Nursing is the autonomous and
collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and
communities, whether sick or healthy and in all settings. It encompasses the
promotion of health, the avoidance of illness, and the care of the sick,
disabled, and dying (Lefevre et al., 2010). They make up the frontline workers
of healthcare systems who are essential in meeting development goals and
delivering safe and effective care. Society views a nursing career favourably
as it offers job security, mobility, and employment. However, the choice to
take this profession is influenced by several factors, including social,
cultural, economic, individual and environmental factors (Marznaki et al.,
2021). These factors contribute either negatively or positively to individuals
choosing a nursing profession.
Sociocultural
factors that affect career choice
Nursing offers an individual a chance
to travel. This is because nursing is a global career enabling individuals to
work anywhere they wish despite where they went to nursing school (Dadgaran,
2013). Other countries and continents offer better opportunities and suitable
environments for professional growth. The individual can also learn to
appreciate the different cultures and appreciate the variations in the way of
life in whichever place they choose to be employed as a nurse (Akosah-Twumasi
et al., 2018). I get to see variations in the conditions and how they are
managed. It builds on my experience of being a great nurse. There
are a lot of professional development opportunities that nursing offers. It has
a wide variety of areas in that I can advance and take my position in society.
A nursing career offers greater job
satisfaction. The art of caring for someone else when they are unable to do
activities of daily living themselves due to sickness gives an individual
purpose (Barcelos, 2019). Life is more fulfilling when you get to help others.
The ability to help others be better or find meaning in life when they have
already lost it enables me to make the world better. I desired to have the
human contact that comes with interacting with patients, of knowing how they
felt. The fears they held when they were at their weakest moment and instilling
hope in them are quite satisfying. Also, the ability to improve their quality
of life and health outcomes promoted my career choice in nursing.
Social factors include groups of
people that influence an individual’s choice to enter a given field of study
(Wang, 2020). When growing up, we are moulded by our parents to be certain
people in society. They forge a path for us to take by encouraging and being
there for us every step of the way. Families, relatives, friends, and most
especially parents significantly impact our careers (Rodrigues et al., 2011). For
example, my parents were there for me when I chose to nurse, they encouraged
me, and when the days were long and tiring, I would turn to them. They ensured
that I never gave up, even on the days I thought I had reached my end. They
were there to remind me that I am strong enough to see my dreams through.
My parents taught me to be
work-oriented, hardworking and responsible. They never encouraged being
sluggish or lazy. Their affection and social skills contributed significantly
to my affectionate skills, which have helped me be a better nurse (Rodrigues et
al., 2011). I can show affection to my patients despite the circumstances or
conditions they have. Even with the workload that comes with being a nurse, I
never avoid them because I have always learned to be a hard worker from a
tender age. Being compassionate enables me to provide human care to all. According to (Shahhosseini et al., 2013), humane
treatment among nurses enhances the respect and dignity of the patient, which
are essential aspects of facilitating the healing process.
Nursing is a career that offers job
security. There are global shortages among the healthcare force, especially the
nurses, who represent 50% of the current shortages (Wu et al., 2015). The
demand for healthcare is dynamic and increasing, but the numbers of available
nurses to meet the needs are few (Wang, 2020). Choosing a nursing career
ensures that you will be able to get employed after graduation because of the
shortages. This makes up a greater percentage of why students choose to pursue
nursing. All countries are trying to achieve SDG 3 (good health and
well-being), which is achieved by ensuring access to quality, safe and
effective healthcare services for all.
Culture has significantly contributed
to my choice to pursue a career in nursing. The notion of culture refers to people’s
beliefs about reality, the norms that influence their behaviour, the values
that orient their moral obligations, or the symbols through which these ideas,
norms, and values are expressed (Akosah-Twumasi et al., 2018). Growing up in a
culture where it’s believed that humans exist to help each other grow and
navigate life has been helpful in my career choice. I grew up seeing how
neighbours positively relate to each other, where another person’s problem was
shared among the community members, and no one felt out. That made me choose
nursing so that I can impact the health of my community and other people as
well.
For a long time, we have seen
disparities in the delivery of health services. These disparities are commonly
caused by race, ethnic background and social class (Barcelos, 2019).
Individuals that come from the lower social class have poor access to health. In
addition, they lack the capital used to acquire health services. This made me
choose a career in nursing because change starts with you. Being in the system
helps me advocate for everyone and their rights to access quality, safe, and
affordable healthcare services despite their race, religion, or social class.
Implications
Every nurse should strive to be
culturally competent to enhance positive therapeutic nurse-patient relationships
(Insight Digital Magazine, 2020). Cultural competence is the ability of
healthcare workers to demonstrate cultural awareness of the patient’s beliefs,
race and values and customs while offering healthcare services (Murphy, 2011).
Each patient is unique, and the nurse should consider cultural diversity. The
ability to appreciate cultural diversity has enabled me to provide holistic
care to patients. It has helped me not to appreciate the diverse cultural
practices but to celebrate them by personalizing the care. Cultural competence
ensures that we respect the diverse culture, which goes a long way in enhancing
the quality of services provided.
Adequate social support from
relatives, family, peers, and the manager aids in enhancing job satisfaction
and promoting performance. In addition, social support provides space for
alleviating stressful situations and improving the well-being of patients
(Marznaki et al., 2021). The ability to take care of patients and provide safe,
effective and quality healthcare depends on their well-being (Insight Digital
Magazine, 2020). Therefore, managers should strive to provide supportive,
desirable and positive working environments. This promotes staff motivation,
job satisfaction and well fare of the nurses. It also fosters unity among the
nurses hence improving health outcomes.
The increasing healthcare demands
have necessitated the need to advance in education and pursue advanced nursing.
There is a need for an effective workforce to ensure high quality yet
cost-effective health care services (Marznaki et al., 2021). Advancing in my
academic levels allows me to attain the knowledge, skills and expertise in
complex decision making. It also facilitates offering a comprehensive scope of
care to the patients. The advanced practice promotes professional growth and
opens up more opportunities. In addition, patient outcomes will be improved
because of the clinical, leadership, educational and research skills.
As nurses, we have an obligation and
responsibility to ensure the optimal health status of society. We must uphold
professional standards and practice to ensure clinical proficiency and safety. It
helps us to develop a positive attitude while providing care. Understanding how
culture influences individual behaviour and thought enables you to plan the
best care for your patients (Barcelos, 2019). Understanding the rules of
interactions within a specific cultural group, such as communication patterns
and customs, family unit division of roles, and spirituality, will help you
better understand your patients’ attitudes. Furthermore, becoming conscious of
your attitudes and stereotypical inclinations toward various cultural groups
enables you to express genuine care and concern.
The choice of a career is one of the
important decisions one has to make. A lot of care and considerations should be
made to ensure that the right choice is made. Influence from the sociocultural
factors such as race, religion, family, culture, job opportunities and future
income potential factors are majorly considered. These factors influence how we
communicate, interact and attitude in whichever profession we choose. However,
it is important that an individual choose a career that they have a personal
interest in and personally was the perfect fit for me.
References
Akosah-Twumasi,
P., Emeto, T. I., Lindsay, D., Tsey, K., & Malau-Aduli, B. S. (2018, July).
A systematic review of factors that influence youths career choices—the role of
culture. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 3, p. 58). Frontiers.
Barcelos
Winchester, S. (2019). Social Determinants of Health Assessment Tool:
Implications for Healthcare Practice. Social Work in Public Health, 34(5),
395-408.
Dadgaran,
I., Parvizy, S., & Peyrovi, H. (2013). Nursing students’ views of
sociocultural factors in clinical learning: a qualitative content analysis.
Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 10(1), 1-9.
Insight
Digital Magazine. (2020). The Importance of Cultural Competence in Nursing -
Insight Digital Magazine. [online] Available at:
<https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/health-care/the-importance-of-cultural-competence-in-nursing/>
Lefevre,
J. H., Roupret, M., Kerneis, S., & Karila, L. (2010). Career choices of
medical students: a national survey of 1780 students. Medical education, 44(6),
603-612.
Marznaki,
Z. H., Khanjankhani, K., Salisu, W. J., Hajihosseini, F., & Barzegari, S.
(2021). Identifying and Ranking the Factors Affecting the Choice of Nursing
Discipline Among Nursing Students in Iran: A Fuzzy Hierarchical Analysis.
Journal of Nursing Research, 29(5), e171.
Murphy,
K. (2011). The importance of cultural competence. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy,
9(2), 5.
Rodrigues,
S., Jindal-Snape, D., & Snape, J. B. (2011). Factors That Influence Student
Pursuit of Science Careers; the Role of Gender, Ethnicity, Family and Friends.
Science Education International, 22(4), 266-273.
Shahhosseini,
Z., Abedian, K., Jannati, Y., & Khaki, N. (2013). Developing an instrument
to measure the influential factors on career choice among Iranian nursing
students. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 18(5), 396.
Wu,
L. T., Low, M. M. J., Tan, K. K., López, V., & Liaw, S. Y. (2015). Why not
nursing? A systematic review of factors influencing career choice among
healthcare students. International nursing review, 62(4), 547-562.
Wang,
M. T., Guo, J., & Degol, J. L. (2020). The role of sociocultural factors in
student achievement motivation: A cross-cultural review. Adolescent Research
Review, 5(4), 435-450.




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