The Social Side of Trauma How cultures define responses, reactions, and recoveries

Interpreting Traumatic Events – Cultures determine reactions to trauma – Cultures determine expressions to reactions – Cultures determine how trauma is accepted in different communities – Cultures determine may or may not help define healthy pathways to new lives after trauma How have trauma and culture become more complicated in the 21 st century? The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing

Accommodating and Integrating Cultural Standards – Education on culture’s routines, traditions, and impact of family relationships – Be prepared to accommodate and integrate cultural standards into crisis response. – Pay attention to: Geography, climate, and environment History of a culture Language of a culture Routines and rituals of a culture What are some ways to convey respect and good will towards different cultures in your profession? The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing

Method of Traumatic Injury and its Effect on Culture & Society Self-inflicted trauma – Community breakdown – Assumptions, rumors, and hearsay – Withdrawn, embarrassed Accidental trauma – Community support – Therapeutic acceptance Purposeful trauma – Community separation – Revenge and blame – Search for reasons The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing

Questions How can nurses incorporate the lived experience in the workplace without cultural bias? What is “cultural competence” in a trauma care unit? Trauma nurses can become desensitized from seeing the “unseen” after long periods of time. What do you think motivates trauma nurses to continue what they do? Why do they stop? The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing

In your current roles as RN’s do you feel like you have been given optimal opportunities to gain cultural competence or do you believe your competence has mostly come from experience? Do you feel your workplace truly promotes and supports cultural competence? Self-reflection… The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing