Well in my workplace in the heart of a location called Umlazi once very rural now much more developed. I think advanced technology or changing times can never remove culture. For me to understand each patient be it from Umlazi or neighboring African countries I need to have an awareness, knowledge and respect to understand each patient , their families as well as their beliefs. Their values and practices will inadvertently affect how they view their illness, treatment and death. And I have had the opportunity to experience how different people cope with death of their child. One patient in my NICU demised but the mum needed the ÓK” from ancestors before I switched off the ventilator. Also after one older child demised in PRU I remember the family brought a Priest and performed a ritual to remove the spirits with water and feathers. I realized that working with different cultures requires self reflection on own biases. I guess we have to be open to learning and flexible in delivery of care. I have learnt that actively listening to parents concerns and acknowledging them without judgement takes patience. And I must be honest we in public regional hospital with staff constraints don’t always have the time but we need to make the time. Also involving the families in decision making that align with their cultural beliefs whilst still promoting the Childs best outcome is important. With the diverse languages it is often beneficial to involve an interpreter so communication is clear and not misleading to ensure we build trust and stay connected but still remain respectful. I noticed parents feel so comforted when I gave them the time of day even just offering them some water to drink or extra food from our kitchen. This course also helps remind me to put into perspective what I already know.
