NURS 4115 – Week 5 Discussion – Cultural Considerations in Nursing

NURS 4115 – Week 5 Discussion – Cultural Considerations in Nursing

Every day many of us move between several cultures, even without thinking about it. The culture in our home or family is different from the culture in the workplace, school, social group, or religious organization. We need to be mindful of our values and beliefs, as this will help us to understand and appreciate the culture of other people. We cannot understand the culture and makeup of others without being aware of our background and situation (United States National Library of Medicine, 2016).

Pregnancy and childbirth is a natural process and should not be a cause of death in women. But there was a high rate of women who died during giving birth or during pregnancy in Sri Lanka in the 1950s. But to reduce maternal deaths in Sri Lanka, the government provides free health to all, which includes preventive and curative services, thereby improving maternal health. They also build clinics in rural areas with professional public health midwives who provide prenatal care for all their pregnant women at no cost. These midwives act as case managers and educators by visiting people in their homes and teaching them about the importance of prenatal care. They will make referrals to specialist hospitals for high-risk pregnant women and other health conditions (Levine, 2007).

I grew up in a community where the use of herbal medicine is commonplace. We planted herbs in our backyard that my mother would use to make some mixtures for us to drink whenever we were sick with stomach trouble, fever or cold, and it made us feel better. I remember talking with one of my postpartum nurses after child delivery; I had requested hot drinking water as opposed to the ice-cold water served in every room. The nurse stated, “You must be from Nigeria because they are the ones that always request hot water after child delivery, so we are familiar with them.” As a Nigerian, we believe that after baby delivery, a mother should drink hot water and eat spicy food to heal the stomach.

NURS 4115 – Week 5 Discussion – Cultural Considerations in Nursing

I am always considerate of my patient’s cultural beliefs and not judgmental whenever I talk with them, and they report using herbal medicine or supplements for their diagnosis. Many times, I have come across patients from Latino, India, China, Africa, and Haiti, just to mention a few who will tell me they use herbal medicine or supplements along with their prescribed medications. I always encourage them to inform their Physicians of any herbal medicine or supplement they are taking to avoid drug-to-drug interactions. Religion and cultural beliefs have a great impact on the use of traditional medical healing (Holtz, 2017).

Working as a Case Manager, I met an Indian female patient who told me that she developed all her medical condition when she was brought to the United States and had no access to herbal medicines. She reported drinking a particular yellow powder from India for heartburn which gives her relief, but since she has been in the United States, she has no access to the powder, and her heartburn has gotten worse. Later, when I called the patient for a follow-up, she sounded delighted because she got the yellow powder from somebody that went to India; she has been using it and is feeling much better, especially with heartburn. Nurses should always remember that cultural desire involves the perception of caring. Cultural desire means that we Should be open and flexible with others, accept differences and build on similarities, and be willing to learn from others as cultural informants (Campinha-Bacote, 2003).

NURS 4115 – Week 5 Discussion – Cultural Considerations in Nursing

As the different parts of the world become increasingly multicultural, nurses should be conscious of social and cultural differences and their impact on health. Cultural humility is a method of reflection to gain a deeper understanding of cultural differences to improve the way vulnerable groups are treated (United State National Library of Medicine, 2016).

References

Campinha-Bacote, J. (2003). Many faces: addressing diversity in health care. Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 8(1), Retrieved from: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Ta bleofContents/Volume82003/No1Jan2003/AddressingDiversityinHealthCare.aspx

Holtz, C. (2017). Global health care: Issues and policies (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Levine, R. (2007). Case studies in global health: Millions saved. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

United State National Library of Medicine (18 Aug 2016). Cultural humility Essential foundation for clinical researchers, Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3834043/

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Post: After considering the different aspects of cultural beliefs and practices, explain how culture influences health beliefs and how might most health programs address these beliefs. Describe how you would apply this to the care you receive and care you provide to others.