ADHA Access May-June : Page 30

special feature continued from page 29 These are just a few of the myriad of challenges health care provid-ers may encounter when dealing with culturally different populations. How do we make choices when we face so many dilemmas? Cer-tain decision-making tools can be used to achieve culturally sensitive and ethical decisions. Along with our conscience, our own personal VWDQGDUGVRIEHKDYLRUZLOOLQÀXHQFHRXUEHKDYLRULQGLIIHUHQWVLWXD -tions. Other tools that will help us make decisions are our knowledge, education, experience and common sense. You need to recognize the ethical issue, collect all the facts, evaluate alternative actions, PDNHDGHFLVLRQDQGWHVWLW&#0f;DFWDQG&#0f;¿QDOO\&#0f;UHÀHFWRQWKHRXWFRPH 4 Gaining a patient’s trust will help with the outcome. Most of the time, we make choices based on doing the right thing. We make decisions quickly at times, and sometimes the consequences can last a lifetime. It is important to take all into consideration, identify options, gather DOOLQIRUPDWLRQ&#0f;DQGFRQVLGHUWKHSURVDQGFRQV6RPHGHQWDORI¿FHV and other dental facilities have an everyday-decision-making plan im-plemented. They even have written scripts to follow for certain com-mon scenarios that may arise. Having a code of ethics as our guide is vitally important. It will help us make careful, smart decisions. Most importantly, our code gives us direction in our professional lives. 7KH8QLWHG6WDWHV2I¿FHRI0LQRULW\+HDOWKRIIHUVWKH&XOWXUDOO\ and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS), with 14 standards. 3 They can be accessed at minorityhealth.hhs.gov/tem-plates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15. These standards are not regulatory and therefore do not have the force and effect of law. They are not mandatory, but they greatly as-sist health care providers and organizations in responding effectively to their patients’ cultural and linguistic needs. The CLAS standards are primarily directed at health care organizations; however, individual providers are also encouraged to use the standards to make their practices more culturally and linguistically accessible. The principles and activities of CLAS should be integrated throughout an organi-zation and undertaken in partnership with the communities being served. Five of the standards are provided here: ‡ +HDOWKFDUHRUJDQL]DWLRQVVKRXOGHQVXUHWKDWSDWLHQWVFRQVXP -ers receive from all staff members effective, understandable and respectful care that is provided in a manner compatible with their cultural health beliefs and practices and preferred language. ‡ +HDOWKFDUHRUJDQL]DWLRQVVKRXOGLPSOHPHQWVWUDWHJLHVWR recruit, retain and promote at all levels of the organization a diverse staff and leadership that are representative of the demographic characteristics of the service area. ‡ +HDOWKFDUHRUJDQL]DWLRQVVKRXOGHQVXUHWKDWVWDIIDWDOOOHYHOV and across all disciplines receive ongoing education and train-ing in culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery. ‡ +HDOWKFDUHRUJDQL]DWLRQVVKRXOGPDLQWDLQDFXUUHQWGHPRJUDSK -LF&#0f;FXOWXUDODQGHSLGHPLRORJLFDOSUR¿OHRIWKHFRPPXQLW\&#0f;DVZHOO as a needs assessment, to accurately plan for and implement services that respond to the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the service area. ‡ +HDOWKFDUHRUJDQL]DWLRQVVKRXOGGHYHORSSDUWLFLSDWRU\&#0f;FRO -laborative partnerships with communities and utilize a variety of formal and informal mechanisms to facilitate community and patient/consumer involvement in designing and implementing CLAS-related activities. A dental hygienist who is not culturally competent could contrib-ute to a lack of trust and inconsistent patient compliance. A cultur-ally competent dental hygienist adapts care in a manner consistent with the culture of the individual patient. Education is imperative to improve and effect a mutual understanding of provider and patient health beliefs. Attaining cultural competence is a continuing process DQGZLOOIXO¿OORXUHWKLFDOUHVSRQVLELOLWLHVWRDOORXUSDWLHQWV References 1. ADHA Code of Ethics. Available at: www.adha.org 2. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam Webster Inc, Spring-¿HOG&#0f;0DVV&#0f;&#1c;&#1b;&#1c;&#0f;S  &XOWXUDOO\DQG/LQJXLVWLFDOO\$SSURSULDWH6HUYLFHVLQ+HDOWK&DUH$YDLODEOH at:º minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15. 4. Santa Clara University. Ethical decision making. Available at www.scu.edu/ ethics/practicing/decisions. Parting Messages: I have been honored to serve on the ADHA Ethics committee with other dental hygienists who came forward to do what we could to keep ethics in the forefront in dental hygiene practice. Thank you for the opportunity and experience. —Winnie Furnari, RDH, MS, FAADH It has been a privilege to serve on the ADHA Ethics committee. I feel our professional ethics speak to the core of who we are and how we serve others. Hopefully we have educated and motivated others to be-come aware of and strengthen our professional ethics through action. —Cynthia Carlson, PH-RDH, BS Mary Bobbett, BA, RDH, has been a registered dental hygienist since 1996 and active in ADHA on the local and state level since graduating. She works two days a week with her sister who is a dentist and works one day a week in another RI¿FH6KHFRPHVIURPDPLOLWDU\IDPLO\ZKR settled in Las Vegas. Mary loves to travel and has visited all seven continents. Cynthia Carlson, RDH, BS, is the past president of the Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association. She served four years as a state delegate and is the current legislative co-chair. She is the recipient of Nebraska State Hygienist of the Year $ZDUGDQGDPHPEHURIWKH0HGLFDO5HVHUYH Corp. She has practiced clinical dental hygiene over 30 years. She is a volunteer who gives GHQWDOHGXFDWLRQSURJUDPVIRUWKHHOGHUO\DQG literacy groups. Winnie Furnari, RDH, MS, FAADH, is past presi-dent of the New Jersey and New York Dental Hygienists’ Associations. She is a recipient of the ADHA Distinguished Service and the Philips/ ADHA Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award. She is an assistant professor at New York University College of Dentistry where she served on the (WKLFVDQG3URIHVVLRQDOLVP&RXQFLODQGVHUYHV as ADHA student chapter co-advisor. She has extensive experience in lecturing and work in forensic odontology. $QJHOD3DYLFLF
'HPNR&#0f;5'+&#0f;LVSDVWSUHVLGHQWRI the Ohio Dental Hygienists’ Association and has served on workgroups at all levels of the asso-ciation. She has been practicing clinical dental hygiene for 15 years. 30 MAY-JUN 2012 access

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