Cultural Assessment of the Korean American

Cultural Assessment of a Korean American Culture includes the customs, traditions, ideas, and ways of interacting with the environment that often differ in various parts of the world. Over the last several decades in the U.S. there has been a growing awareness and tolerance of cultures other than the traditional western culture in the community. And in healthcare we are expected to provide all patients and families with the same respect and treatment, but at the same time provide individualized care. In order to meet these standards the work place environment has responded with training and education on cultural competence. The term cultural competence can be defined by the ability to respect and understand the beliefs and attitudes of another without imposing your own ideas. With this knowledge it is hoped that it will allow for a more individualized plan of care, patient compliance, and therefore, a better outcome for the patient and healthcare team (Seidel et al, 2010). On October 9, 2012 M.S. consented to participation in an interview to share some of the basics of her culture, and as a healthcare provider herself, she shared how they differ from the more predominant views in Memphis, TN. M.S. is a 38 year old female who was born and raised in South Korea. She immigrated to the U.S. when she married a Korean American U.S. Air Force pilot 12 years ago. She is a Registered Nurse that was educated here in the U.S. and has two children ages 8 and 11. M.S. was helpful in describing the normal traditions of her culture, as well as pointing out that according to tradition of her culture she does not fit the norm in many aspects.
Health Beliefs and Practices Health and Illness. When discussing health beliefs and practices I found that many of the topics we discussed I was already aware of being part of the Asian culture. However, by talking with a person from that ethnicity she was able to expound on those differences that I was aware of and also describe

References: Seidel, H.M., Ball, J.W., Dains, J.E., Flynn, J.A., Solomon, B.S., & Stewart, R.W. (2011). Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination. (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.