Question

Discussion Topics, Mohr

Chapter 6, Culture

Discussion Topics	Learning Objective
1. During her first semester of nursing school, Felecia was assigned to a patient belonging to the American Indian culture. Felicia began to compare her own cultural beliefs with that of her patient. To what ethnic, socioeconomic class, and community do you feel a part of or belong? What are the values of your cultural group? What are your attitudes toward people who are different from you in appearance or behavior?	1, 2, 10
2. When caring for an individual who belongs to a different culture, there may be variations in health concept and promotion. List a cultural group, what their concept of health may be, and discuss variations as well as potential health promotion beliefs.	6
3. Maria is a 26-year-old woman who lived in Mexico until the age of 20. She has been experiencing severe depression but is afraid to seek treatment. List and explain one of the reasons why minority groups may display resistance to, and feel uncomfortable about, seeking mental health services. What religious or spiritual influences may be affecting Maria’s decision? How could racial bias affect Maria? Identify some cultural barriers to treatment Maria may face.	4, 5
4. During your fourth semester of nursing school, you are peer mentoring a first-semester nursing student. You are discussing culturally competent nursing care. Identify the four critical skills that nurses need in order to provide culturally sensitive and competent care for the mental health client. Describe an example of how each of these skills could be incorporated into the care of a client of Asian descent.

Answer 1

1.In a healthcare delivery system , as in society , the nurse interacts with people of similar and diverse cultural backgrounds. Acknowledging and adapting to the cultural needs of a patient and significant others is an important component of nursing care. To plan and implement culturally competent care , the nurse must understand the definitions of culture and cultural competence and the various aspects of culture that should be explored for each patient.

To what ethnic, socioeconomic class, and community do you feel a part of or belong?

Cultural diversity is defined often as skin color, religion,geographic area, ethicity, socioeconomic class and community. Mostly US population include African Americans , Hispanic/ Latino Americans, and Native Americans. A nurse may belong to any diversity but she should be sensitive to interracial applications of cultural competence. Some members of one ethnic culture or diversity may be feeling annoyed or angered if mistaken for members of another culture. Nurses should refrain from culturally stereotyping a patient in an attempt to be culturally competent.

What are the values of your cultural group?

Values of each cultural group is a universal phenomenon , since it encompasses all of the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and skills acquired by the members of that particular cultural group.So a nurse should be ac-cultured (members of a cultural group adapt to or learn how to take on behaviors of another group).

What are your attitudes toward people who are different from you in appearance or behavior.

• Culturally competent nursing care should be given which is providing care in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner.
• Culture care accommodation : Professional actions and decisions that a nurse makes in her care to the patient of any designated culture achieve satisfying health outcome.
• Effective communication and identification of non verbal cues

2.List a cultural group, what their concept of health may be, and discuss variations as well as potential health promotion beliefs.

Interventions for alterations in health and wellness vary among cultures.Native Americans patients seek assistance from a shaman or medicine man or woman.According to them health is harmony between human and nature. They think some supernatural forces or evil may be the cause for their health disturbances.They perceive pain as a natural way to provide them power and energy.According to them death dont end their life and they donot believe that there is heaven or hell. They always live with nature and follow natural ways of healing.

3. Minority refers to group of people whose physical and cultural characteristics differ from majority of people in a soceity.Sometimes , the minorities may be isolated from others in a soceity or treated in unequal ways.So Maria thinking or fearing about inferiority may be making her feel uncomfortable.