PART 1

Introduction

This position statement report is about Canberra Hospital. Wellbeing and health of people are related to the healthcare professionals and it solely depends on the healthy environment. Nurses practice for the provision of health conditions for patients and believe that they are obliged to provide a secure and healthy environment (Gungahlin, 2019). Nurses also share responsibilities to protect patients from any disability and vulnerabilities; therefore their role is critical to maintaining the healthcare standards (Hospital, 2019). The healthcare system has undergone several changes while putting emphasis on public health, since it is all about the quality of care required (Coleman, Hudson & Pederson, 2017).

Individuals need to know about the basics of their health and bodily functions. It is the role of nurses that can help them about healthcare information, improve their literacy level and education. The basic concepts regarding health such as regiment of care and treatment and illness are necessary to elaborate with the help of literacy skills (System, 2019). Nurse Managers and nurses work effectively to provide information about a varied level of health conditions and different circumstances. The role of healthcare professionals cannot be ignored, in order to provide them with an improved level of wellbeing. In other words, it is all about the patient’s literacy.

This paper aims to present a position statement about Canberra Hospital. The article will focus on the role of health literacy and communication and its significance with the nurse’s point of view. The article will also elaborate reflection for the same health organization and perceived role regarding health literacy.

Position Statement and Cultural Safety

Canberra Hospital is a highly patient-centred care place, providing high-quality treatment and making patients as comfortable as possible. Being the most significant public hospital in Australia, the site is crucial to serving more than 500,000 patients, including daily services, women and children services, acute patient services, pathology and paediatrics. The interdependence in healthcare for human wellbeing is centrally related to a formal organization that helps the vulnerable community and provides adequate resources. The original conditions regarding the provision of healthcare are being provided by the organization. The services offered by the healthcare organization are ACT pathology, mental health, chronic disease management, community care programs, cancer, surgery and organ & tissue donation (Gungahlin, 2019).

Health literacy is a precursor for health achievement and patient wellbeing. The Canberra Hospital is engaged in patient empowerment, activation, engagement and maximum healthcare outcomes, based on health literacy that is being applied to every patient. The health literacy aspects are the primary concern of hospital and nurse professionals. On its basis, improved healthcare practices are carried out, moreover any it also aims at resolving the difficulty in acquiring health-related information. The social safety environment is conducive to provide significant learning platform regarding cultural awareness, knowledge, sensitivity, as well as competence (Hospital, 2019). Canberra Hospital is working on multiple healthcare services under health literacy information, such as food regulation policies and advice regarding food selection to the community.  The organization is responsible for the management & coordination regarding ethical frameworks and reviews the governance process of health (Coleman, Hudson & Pederson, 2017).

PART 2

The rationale for the Position Statement

The role of the social safety position statement is central to provide enough awareness about healthcare organization and information about health literacy. Health literacy is an active element for understanding essential patient condition and getting knowledge regarding safe environmental conditions (System, 2019). Hospital care ensures a safe and comfortable stay of patients since it is committed to offering safe environmental conditions and high-quality care for the patient. This position statement elaborates the role of Australian healthcare in providing literacy practices for patients. Canberra Hospital is a tertiary level of a healthcare facility that focuses on patient-centred care.

The social safety position statement is symbolic to understand the notion of the hospital for care, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and respect for patients. This statement is significant to know the role of health literacy for the patient and how healthcare professionals are carrying out effective practices (Willis & Elmer, 2011). These values are essential to assess through hospital functioning and different endeavours to know about different ways of working with patients, community and various partners. Through a position statement, the cultural significance can be best understood, and it emphasizes the role of nurses and healthcare practitioners to provide healthcare services. The promotion related programs of healthcare literacy are designed to provide competent information to individuals and to fulfil the need of community and the general population (System, 2019).

Significance of Effective Communication

Importance of effective communication in a culturally safe environment is significant to understand the role of the healthcare organization. Effective communication in a culturally safe environment is linked with the conditions and different frameworks carried out under management (Hospital, 2019). Healthcare safety at a cultural level undertakes the provision of essential information for the patient to equip the community with a better understanding of current practices regarding healthcare. The professional level of health literacy is significantly associated with effective communication. It is all about talking with patients with a thorough understanding of healthcare conditions and informing patients about critical conditions. Health literacy and effective communication is linked with social aspects and cognitive states that determine the motivation power of individuals (Gungahlin, 2019).

It necessitates the role of individual access with the ability to acquire useful information to promote and maintain good health prospects. The proficient communication regarding health perspective is essential to discuss by the healthcare organization since it is related to the necessary information and understanding of life conditions. The proficiency of health literacy with the effective communication is associated with the specific risks regarding ineffective treatment, taking the wrong medication, dangerous mistakes regarding diagnosis, late treatment, poor treatment outcomes and inadequate information about health conditions (Janz & Stack, 2019).  The effective communication by healthcare professionals necessitates fulfilling of these conditions that could otherwise bring low health literacy. Canberra Hospital is accomplishing health literacy aspects with the help of effective communication by fulfilling primary health conditions (Coleman, Hudson & Pederson, 2017).

Health Literacy and Effective Communication

Health literacy and effective communication are two key steps that work together and prevail in Canberra Hospital. The health literacy is all about abilities to understand particular health information, and if this information is provided in a practical way, it needs excellent communication. The limited health literacy means, data is not presented in good form and miscommunication has occurred. The communication level in Canberra Hospital is patient-centred communication that makes the foundation in healthcare. I have worked as an internee in the Canberra Hospital for four weeks. I mainly indulged with patients, in checking their vital signs, such as blood pressure check, rate of heart beat etc. This process needs effective communication to understand the situation of the patient better and to inform them about ongoing health conditions (Lie, Carter-Pokras, Braun & Coleman, 2012).

My internship tasks needed effective communication with patients. I used this opportunity to educate people about underlying health conditions, such as hygiene level, their balanced diet and significance of daily lifestyle.  This all was possible only with the help of effective communication, and the better information provision to people means they are getting literacy. The effective communication at Canberra Hospital is developed by interacting with a patient politely, knowing their difficulties, developing a professional relationship and taking patient families and relatives into confidence (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017).

Historical and Contemporary Factors’ influence

Cultural competencies are strongly related to external factors under healthcare perspectives. The healthcare prospects are oriented on cultural knowledge, competencies and practical information in the form of health literacy (Willis & Elmer, 2011). The external factors can be historical or contemporary that plays an active role in the provision of health-related information. These factors play a crucial role in determining the life quality and influenced aspects such as media and social factors that can develop a sound understanding of health education. External factors also include awareness programs such as health literacy platforms, knowledge centres, community awareness programs and basic health knowledge.

The culturally safe health organization is all about dealing with patient-provider family communication and attaining high-quality health outcomes. This is based on well developed culturally safe practices, no ethnic and racial differences and equality of all classes. The role of social and historical factors in expanding health literacy is central because people are much influenced by the communication level and research-based activities that foster health significance (Loan et al., 2018). The provision of culturally safe environment undertakes the role of healthcare professionals by delivering a specific knowledge regarding health-related outcomes and addressing potential risk in patient’s behavior (Gungahlin, 2019).

The contribution of external factors in health-related outcomes is influential. It necessitates the element of community health centers and analyzes basic information for people. The role of media and technology is massive today, since it is participating in every aspect of health. Healthcare, primary education and health literacy rate based on media platforms is active. Media centrally play a specific role for patients, vulnerable communities and masses (McKinlay et al., 2011). For example, media outlets advertisement about research, community assistance research centers and knowledge awareness programs are some of the important endeavors taken by Canberra Hospital. These aspects are providing a basic range of health literacy across the country while engaging people from all the walks of life.

In this regard, the significant role of community health intake cannot be ignored. It is Weston Creek community health centre that undertakes occupational therapies. The primary purpose of this centre is to provide necessary information to people and guide them about health (Willis & Elmer, 2011). For instance, maternal and child health platform is crucial to analyze. Nurses in maternal and child health program present evidence related the latest information to people and the registered nurses are capable of providing effective communication. This influence is backed up with the most recent research and policy development to support the main agenda of the hospital regarding promotion of health literacy for Canberra Hospital target clients (Coleman, Hudson & Pederson, 2017).

Barriers in Implementation

During my internship at Canberra Hospital, I observed specific obstacles in the implementation of this position statement. These barriers are common in any healthcare setting and arise when there is a low level of health-related literacy. For instance, at Canberra Hospital, people with shallow education level often confront less health-related literacy, and they are often diagnosed with poor health outcomes. The limited health literacy is further related to the increased mortality rate, less nutritious diet and low level of knowledge regarding healthy lifestyle. The position statement of Canberra Hospital is significant and only can be implemented if the barriers related to culturally safe practices will be rectified (Resources, 2019).

Canberra Hospital is also facing difficulties in implementing the position statement due to racial and ethnic disparities, even in some areas people have less access to complete healthcare information. The cultural safety model at the hospital is backed up by research methods, but it is facing hurdles regarding less awareness about health conditions. Low hygiene knowledge is a contributory factor for poor health. Another significant barrier in implementing position statement is the disproportionate increase in the chronic diseases in Adults due to less information.

Conclusion

The resolution of barriers to effectively implement the position statement is the first important element for Canberra Hospital. This aspect is mainly based on spreading information related to health and hygiene lifestyle, focusing on safe cultural practices, eliminating cultural and linguistic barriers and to equip nurses with significant knowledge of effective communication (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). It is evidenced that effective communication can significantly promote health-related literacy. The solution may include, improved knowledge of people living in remote areas, building literacy charts, audio-visual aid framework and reducing racial and ethnic disparities (Gungahlin, 2019).

These solutions are related to obligatory policies developed by management to increase access to health-related information. Patient-centred communication should be supported at every level, and the adult population should be provided with basic health literacy such as vital signs, the significance of hygiene and balanced diet. Patients should be satisfied with the treatment and they should be asked about any questions (Coleman, Hudson & Pederson, 2017). In addition, nurses should be equipped with some primary languages so that they can effectively communicate with patients with ethnic differences. It is crucial t hire the multicultural workforce and health-related practitioners should provide training regarding health literacy and communication.

References

Coleman, C., Hudson, S., & Pederson, B. (2017). Prioritized Health Literacy and Clear Communication Practices For Health Care Professionals. HLRP: Health Literacy Research And Practice, 1(3), e91-e99. doi: 10.3928/24748307-20170503-01

Gungahlin, B. (2019). Calvary Public Hospital | Health. Retrieved from https://health.act.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-centres/calvary-public-hospital

Hospital, C. (2019). Canberra Hospital | Health. Retrieved from https://health.act.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-centres/canberra-hospital

Janz, H., & Stack, M. (2019). Think disability is a tragedy? We pity you. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/think-disability-is-a-tragedy-we-pity-you-82047

Lie, D., Carter-Pokras, O., Braun, B., & Coleman, C. (2012). What Do Health Literacy and Cultural Competence Have in Common? Calling for a Collaborative Health Professional Pedagogy. Journal Of Health Communication, 17(sup3), 13-22. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2012.712625

Loan, L., Parnell, T., Stichler, J., Boyle, D., Allen, P., VanFosson, C., & Barton, A. (2018). Call for action: Nurses must play a critical role to enhance health literacy. Nursing Outlook, 66(1), 97-100. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2017.11.003

McKinlay, E., Garrett, S., McBain, L., Dowell, T., Collings, S., & Stanley, J. (2011). New Zealand general practice nurses’ roles in mental health care. International Nursing Review, 58(2), 225-233. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-7657.2010.00859.x

Resources, N. (2019). Helping patients improve their health literacy: Effective strategies for nurses and nurse managers – Bradley University Online. Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/helping-patients-improve-their-health-literacy-effective-strategies-for-nurses-and-nurse-managers/

Salmond, S., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for Nursing. Orthopaedic Nursing, 36(1), 12-25. doi: 10.1097/nor.0000000000000308

System, H. (2019). Maternal and Child Health (MACH) | Health. Retrieved from https://health.act.gov.au/services-and-programs/women-youth-and-children/maternal-and-child-health-mach

Willis, K., Elmer, S. (2011). Power and responsibility in health care encounters, Society, culture and health: An introduction to sociology for nurses. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 257-276

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