SHARE SHAPING AWARENESS OF REPRODUCTIVE EDUCATION

Outline  What to expect at a SHARE event  Cultural sensitivity and communication  When you are counseling  Culture specific communication  Review all SHARE materials

What to expect at a SHARE event  Duration: 2-4 hours  Settings: clinics, retail, shelters  Public: underserved populations of various backgrounds  Attire: what you’d wear to lab, including lab coat and name badge  Your role: to answer questions mainly focused on, but not limited to, SHARE topics

Available Materials  Brochures  Birth Control Guide (FDA) and Additional Information on Birth Control  STDs  Medicine and Pregnancy (FDA)  Pregnancy and Medicine: What is Safe to Use and What to Avoid  Flyers about drug use during lactation  List of Local Clinics  Pregnancy and Lactation Poster  Free condom samples

Cultural sensitivity and communication  Use simple words  Be careful to avoid medical language and words related to the body/STDs that might be considered offensive  Be aware of your patients’ tone of voice and body language and mimic them  In some cultures, it is rude to look at someone straight in the eye or to speak very loudly

Cultural sensitivity and communication  Some people may just want to talk  This is also a form of counseling and patient contact  If you are comfortable with this, they will likely walk away feeling like you helped them

When you are counseling  If unsure, please double-check info on your Lexi- Comp/Micromedex  If you do not know how to answer a question, refer the person to one of the SHARE coordinators or the precepting Pharmacist

When you are counseling  Please DO NOT endorse certain medications or make diagnoses. Only give suggestions:  “You may have heartburn, you could try X” instead of “You have heartburn, X is the best to use”  Go over the brochures with your patient:  Explain what is unclear to him or her  Point out info relevant to that person (specific condition/med)

Culture Specific Communication LPN Notes 2008  American Indian  Talking loudly is rude  Personal space is important and is greater than the one of European Americans  Physical contact except shaking hands from strangers is unacceptable  A lot of questions may foster mistrust  Direct eye contact and finger pointing is disrespectful

Culture Specific Communication LPN Notes 2008  Arab Heritage  Shake hands only with the right hand; men should not initiate handshake with women and girls  Pork and alcohol are prohibited by Muslims; medications should not contain alcohol and gelatin made out of pork  Direct eye contact between members of opposite sex is disrespectful  May be reluctant to talk about personal information

Culture Specific Communication LPN Notes 2008  Asian Heritage  Direct eye contact may cause uneasiness  Avoid unnecessary touching  Men should not initiate handshake with women and girls  Patients may seek first traditional or alternative treatment before accepting Western medicine  Actions considered disrespectful: discussion of mental illness, direct eye contact, pointing, touching the head, placing the feet on desk or table

Culture Specific Communication LPN Notes 2008  Mexican Heritage  May seek traditional or alternative healers first  Being overweight is seen as positive  Avoid direct eye contact with older generation  Russian Heritage  Patients may be standoffish to health-care workers until trust is established  Diets are high in fat and sodium

Summary  Come to the event prepared – look professional!  Review this presentation  Bringing Lexi-Comp might be helpful  Use your best judgment on how to communicate with people from other cultures  Next event – Friday, February 26: 1-4 pm (tentative)

Questions?