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Cultural Assessment Culture in Nursing Nurses need to be culturally sensitive and culturally competent because a person’s culture is the foundation for what they believe in and how they act. It is especially important when it comes to a person’s health. A patient’s culture can influence the decisions they make in regards to their health and treatment. Berman, Snyder, Kozier, Erb (2008, p. 506) define culture as “nonphysical traits, such as values, beliefs, attitudes, and customs, that are shared by a group of people and passed from one generation to the next. Nursing is a practice that should incorporate all of these traits.
It is essential to understand the patient’s culture because it will enable us to provide them with the highest quality care possible. This United States has a myriad of people from all cultures and the diversity that exists in hospitals is the reason we should not be ethnocentric. Ethnocentrism is the “belief that one’s own culture or way of life is better that that of others” (Berman, 2008, p. 315). Every client we take care of will have their own views regarding their health. It is our Job to nderstand their perspective and not let our personal views or opinions get in the way of their wishes and desires regarding their treatment plan.
The Student’s and Client’s Cultures Guadalupe Maria Armenta is a 23-year-old Hispanic female. She is my sister’s best friend and is currently in college to obtain her GED. She was born in Mexico and her family migrated to the United States with her when she was fourteen years old. She has lived in Houston, TX since she arrived to U. S. and has adapted to the way of American living. Maria has learned English, but speaks it with an accent and since er parents have not learned English, she prefers to speak Spanish. Although we are both Hispanic, Maria did not grow up here like I did.
Her beliefs and values were already established from the way of living in Mexico when she arrived here. When it comes to her health, Maria usually does not seek medical attention when she is ill. She prefers to use “remedios caseros” translated to mean “natural remedies”. In her culture, the mother is the one who takes care of the sick in the family. Her mother will make teas using different herbs to treat different symptoms, r she will make a concoction with different natural ingredients to make a remedy. On occasion she will see a “curandera”. A “curandera” is somebody who practices folk medicine.
This person will prepare treatments or have a healing ritual or practice for the sick. I believe in modern medicine and will go see a doctor on the onset of symptoms. One of the reasons why Maria may not seek healthcare may be due to her socioeconomic status. Maria lives at home with her parents and three younger siblings. Her mother is a housewife and her dad works outside the home as a painter. They live paycheck by paycheck and cannot afford to have medical insurance. Her two younger siblings have Medicaid and are usually the only ones who will see a doctor when they are sick.
I am blessed that my Job offers medical, dental, and vision insurance. Regarding our spiritual needs, Maria is a very devoted catholic. Maria goes to “misa” every Sunday and prays with the rosary every day. I am nondenominational and would like to go to church every Sunday but my Job does not allow it. She will wear the necklace with Virgin Mary on it because she believes it protects her from harm nd illness. Maria is a faithful member of her church and she will seek her priest and other church members when she needs advice.
In the past, when somebody has been very sick in Maria’s family, the priest will come over and pray for them and then sprinkle holy water on them. Her belief is that God has blessed the water and its power to heal is greater than any medicine a doctor prescribes. When it comes to death, Maria’s spiritual belief is to pray a holy rosary using rosary beads and crucifix for the dead for a “novena”, or nine days. She believes praying the rosary will help he soul into heaven. In my church, we pray for the person before they die and once they pass there is nothing more we can do for them.
The Snares of Ethnocentrism In order to provide the best quality care I will have to be culturally sensitive and be able to convey this sensitivity to Maria, her family, and other members of the health care team. First, I will have to be aware of my own culture, personal biases, attitudes, and beliefs before I can understand another client’s culture. Since Maria feels more comfortable speaking Spanish, communication with the healthcare team who cannot peak Spanish may present a problem. She may have trouble understanding the medical Jargon in English or she may not be able to effectively communicate and ask questions.
In Maria’s culture, natural medicine is used more often than modern medicine, so certain treatments or medications necessary for her health improvement may be rejected. Due to financial constraint, she may reject the treatments or medications for fear of them being too costly. Because Maria has such strong spiritual beliefs, it may upset her to stay in the hospital and not be able to attend church. Her family and extended family are very close to her and may not be able to visit or be at the bedside if the hospital has strict visiting rules.
Toward Culturally-competent Care To be able to give Maria and her family a positive hospital experience I would have to negotiate with the hospital and the staff on how we can make accommodations to make them feel comfortable and taken care of. To best understand Maria’s culture, I would ask questions regarding her beliefs and practices and not make assumptions. I would get Maria and her family an interpreter to ease verbal communication. If Maria r family refuses a treatment or medication I would have to respect their decision and recognize that it is their right to make their own healthcare choices.
I would talk to the priest of the hospital and arrange for him to possibly make daily visits so she can still feel have spiritual support while she remains in the hospital. If she is well enough to be able to visit the hospital chapel she could do that as well. I know how important family is in Maria’s culture. It is especially important to have them at your side during illness so I would inform the family of vising hours and allow them to otate in and out of the room so they can each have a chance to spend time with her.
When taking care of any client from another culture, it will be important to consider all parts of the client including: physical, psychological, socio-and cultural heritage, developmental, and spiritual needs. Reference Berman n er S. J. , Kozier, B ). Kozier and Erb’s tundamentals ot nursing: Concepts, process, and practice (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Pearson and Prentice Hall. Jarvis, C. (2008). Physical examination and health assessment (5th ed. ). St. Louis, MO: Saunders