Obtaining a patients health history is important because it

Obtaining a patient’s health history is important because it drives the rest of the care they receive. A very important aspect when obtaining a health history is communication and that can be difficult when the nurse and patient do not speak the same language. Thankfully now a days most hospitals have a few tools to effectively communicate with patients but that might not be true for all facilities. I have chosen to compare and contrast the Hispanic culture with my own.

The biggest struggle people of the Hispanic culture face is the lack of communication available in the health care setting. “Language barriers in healthcare lead to miscommunication between the medical profession and patient, decrease in the quality of healthcare delivery, and adversely impact the relationship between the physician and patient” (Whiteside, 2024). A simple solution to this problem would be having more interpreters readily available to patients across all healthcare settings. While an in-person interpreter would be preferable, my hospital currently utilizes a program called Language Line Solutions which offers over 290 different languages to patients. This service is almost revolutionary because it gives healthcare workers the tools to not only care for their patients but also provide the education needed.

One aspect of the Hispanic culture that I really admire is how supportive every family member is. I noticed my Hispanic patients are rarely left alone by themselves. They typically have one or several family members by their bedside at all times of the day. A support system is crucial for patient recovery and success with treatment. “Support systems will help you improve your overall health and have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety” (Hood, 2020). Support systems not only give the patient someone to rely on but can help make decisions when the patient is not able to.
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