Understanding Different Cultures and Its Importance in Giving Adequate Care

 

Jacquelyn Mahoney, Verrazzano Class of 2021, completed major in Psychology & minor in ASL

My capstone focused on how health services and medical facilities could become more accessible to benefit Deaf individuals. Research has shown that when a medically trained ASL interpreter has been present there was no communication barrier between doctors and Deaf patients. The research also showed that if medically trained ASL interpreters were not present, and medical personnel knew just a little bit about Deaf culture, then the communication between the two people would be much easier.

I feel that my capstone project has shed a very important light on this topic. Doctors and nurses may assume that a Deaf patient understands what is said to them when in reality they do not. It is important for medical staff to have knowledge about Deaf and other cultures to be more equipped to perform their jobs and give adequate care. I learned that how a person views the world is through their own eyes and the eyes of their own culture. 

One very important concept that I learned about was just how important a person’s culture is to them. One’s culture influences how a person may handle a situation, and it is important to have a basic understanding of other people’s cultures. Learning about different cultures can help make a difference in how I could handle a situation when engaging with people. 

I really enjoyed working on my capstone project and feel that it has helped me to prepare for my future career as a guidance counselor. I now have a better understanding of how people are influenced by their culture, and I know that when helping students I can be more of use to them if I have an understanding of their culture.