Skloot, Rebecca- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Qn.1
When Henrietta went for treatment at the hospital, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. In the process, part of her tissue was taken from her and was sent to the laboratory to be grown. For many years scientist had tried to get human cells for experimentation, but it had not been easy to get. Scientists removed this tissue behind the knowledge of Henrietta herself and her family (Skloot, 2013). This event derives issues of concern on cultural safety in healthcare settings. Cultural safety within the health care setting refers to freedom of communication between the patient and the practitioner regardless of the backgrounds. In this case, the patient is involved in any changes within the healthcare and it gives a room for the patient to feel safe in interacting with the practitioner. It also focuses on the privacy of the patient and the practitioner, meaning any information concerning the patient does not belong to the public. Therefore, to prevent such incidents from occurring again, cultural safety training should be undergone by healthcare practitioners. Thus, effective communication is one of the ways to increase patient satisfaction.
Qn. 2
This information is more so beneficial to scientists. The moment it became possible for HeLa cells to reproduce, it opened possibilities for more experiments. This incident of having a human cell outside the body gave the opportunity for doctors to watch how cell division takes place, how viruses behave within the cells. In other words, it made it possible for doctors to witness the condition of the cells in a more ethical than when they are inside human body. Since then, HeLa cells have been exposed to continuous toxins, they have been tested using various drugs (Skloot, 2013). And as a result, scientists have come up with new pieces of knowledge within the healthcare field and this has helped to shape the field of medicine until this 21st century.
Qn. 3
Whereas patients search for empathy from their physicians, medical practitioners recognize its need in the field of healthcare. However, in trying to show empathy, a reliable professional doctor understands it in a different way. Outside the medical field, empathy means having emotional resonance. However, in the clinical field, empathy refers to a form of detached understanding of emotions, meaning physicians need to understand the emotions of their patients (Halpern, 2001). Doctors practice detachment so as to care for all their patients no matter their personal feelings. On the other hand patients want real empathy from doctors. Thus, there is that room for empathy in medical science; however, it is handled so that it puts into consideration the norm of detachment.
The practice of nursing starts with a wide range of activities. Thus it is agreeable that it can bridge between medical science and medical practice. At later stages, is when nursing practice requires specialized knowledge and independent decision. Careers in nursing field take divergent paths (Marini, 2016). Nursing practice varies depending on the setting, for instance, by different disease, by the type of client and level of rehabilitation. Nursing care is so critical to the society and it can pose harm if practiced by professionals who are not prepared or competent. In its higher stage, because of the need to specialize in a specific arm of practice, a nursing practitioner may bridge to one specific medical practice.
References
Skloot Rebecca,. (2013). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: Study guide. Pembroke notes.
Halpern, J. (2001). From detached concern to empathy: Humanizing medical practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Marini, M. G. (2016). Narrative medicine: Bridging the gap between evidence-based care and medical humanities.
