After a long day at an urgent care clinic, the doctor was ready to go home but just when he was about to leave for the day, a 40-year-old woman from El Salvador, who appeared to be in excruciating pain, entered the building with her 15-year-old daughter. The mother was clutching her abdomen and was clearly in distress. However, she could not speak English. While the nurse unsuccessfully tried to communicate with the woman, the exasperated doctor quickly realized that the daughter was bilingual. As a result, he relied on the daughter to explain the mother's symptoms, which included severe abdominal pain and vomiting. The doctor had seen several cases of stomach flu recently, so he believed the patient was experiencing the same symptoms. 

However, the nurse noted that the patient's symptoms appeared to be more severe than the flu, which she advised the doctor. He pulled the nurse aside and told her that he felt the woman was overreacting, as he believed Latinx populations, particularly women, always were overly emotional. He then gave the daughter a prescription for flu medication and quickly left the room, leaving the frustrated mother and daughter alone in the room with the nurse.

What type of approach/technique would you use as a nurse in this situation? 

What would you say to the mother and daughter and what traits would you exhibit while communicating with them?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

In this situation it is important for the nurse to approach the mother and daughter with empathy respect and cultural sensitivity The nurse should pri... View the full answer