Heritage Assessment Research Paper

Heritage Assessment
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V
July 27, 2014
As nurses we come in contact with a wide variety of individuals, they all come from different backgrounds whether it is related to education, social class, ethnicity, or religion. Each individual has their own culture beliefs and it is our duty as nurses to recognize and investigate what those beliefs are to have a better understanding of them and to help guide us in providing the best possible care we can for each patient we encounter. The Heritage Assessment Tool is a great way to bridge the cultural gap between nurse and patient; by gaining cultural competence there can be a greater understanding of patient’s needs thus promoting patient centered care.
Cultural competency
is imperative when providing patient care, it helps the nurse have a better understanding of patient needs and helps to promote patient centered care thus achieving the best possible outcome for each individual. “Health care services that are respectful of and responsive to the health beliefs, practices and cultural and linguistic needs of diverse patients can help bring about positive health outcomes.” (Heritage Assessment: Developing Cultural Competency for the Geriatric Population 2012) The Heritage Assessment Tool is one way to assess a patient’s cultural needs through numerous questions about the individual and family background a nurse is able obtain cultural information which is beneficial when constructing a care plan with patient centered goals. This tool also helps the nurse to evaluate their own cultural background, it is important to have an understanding of one’s own cultural beliefs when trying to promote care around others. Culture is a diverse subject that can influence how health and disease is perceived and treated, by having a greater understanding of individual beliefs nurses are able to provide care, promoting health in a way individuals can understand and accept. The use of the Heritage Assessment Tool helps to pave a new way for nurse and patient communication allowing for optimal health care and patient outcomes.
Each culture has their own definition of health and how they will allow treatment to be received. When looking at three different cultures such as someone from the Philippines, India, and the United States, there will be large differences in how health is viewed. Health maintenance, protection, and restoration will all have a different meaning and it is the job of nurse to help define those meanings and provide care based around them.
Filipinos are the second largest Asian group in the United States, in 2011 there was over 1.8 million residing in the US (Filipino Immigrants in the United States 2013). This number continues to climb every year, more and more migrate to the US for a better economy and life for their children. The Filipino culture is very family oriented; they remain in close contact with family, often sending goods or money to the Philippines. The Filipino culture believes that in some cases disease is created by a natural origin such as over eating, poor diet, or excessive alcohol intake, there is also a belief that disease is derived from spiritual or moral imbalances. Their diet relates to the health benefits the food can provide, for example rice is believed to provide energy and garlic is believed to thin the blood and lower blood pressure. When an individual becomes ill health practices can vary by region, herbalists or other types of healers may be put before seeking medical attention. Filipinos have a strong religious background with the majority being Christian, primarily Catholic or Pentecostal; Prayer is a valuable resource to them. While an individual is ill bathing can be seen as washing away the body’s energy, therefore they may decline this ADL while ill. The Filipino language can differ dependent on what region they are from; Tagalog is the national language, others include Ilocano and Bikol. It is vital when caring for the Filipino culture an interpreter line is available, becoming dependent on a fellow co-worker can cause problems if the correct dialect is not being used.
The Filipino culture greatly impacts their health belief system; their spiritual beliefs help to decide how they will medically be treated. They are a culture that is close to their elders and believe it is the adult children who will care for them in old age and although English is taught in school language can become a barrier in the geriatric community. While their culture may hold them back from seeking modern medicine for a cure they will accept it after other attempts have failed. As nurses it is valuable to understand this and help to promote self-healing practices prior to pushing modern day medicine on them, they will then be more willing to accept what we have to offer.
While most individuals from the Indian culture base their religion on Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism others may chose another route.
One religion that to some is seen as taboo is Pagan due to the belief all Pagans practice witch craft, the true meaning of a Pagan is “a follower of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion.” (What is Paganism 2014) The Pagan religion is an umbrella term for many other beliefs and practices, Pagans may be trained to follow certain traditions or their own and pursue their own visions of the divine. The Indian culture has many of the same health beliefs as Pagans do; they both take on a holistic process with many seeking remedies from nature. It is believed by Pagans that if one is ill it is due to their bodies energies becoming out of balance, they will fully except modern medicine while including alternative healing measures such as Reiki, massage, chanting, chiropractic, acupuncture, hands on healing, and community healing. Pagans see death as a fundamental process of nature and that the body is recycled so the soul can take on a new form, this is a form of re-carnation, which is also a belief of the Indian
culture.
The American culture has grown so widely, there are numerous belief systems and not all individuals carry the same beliefs.
While most Americans will seek out health care when needed the treatment they are willing to accept is based on religious beliefs, Jehovah Witness do no accept blood transfusions, certain races believe receiving health care can be degrading, and some will care for their elders before allowing a health care worker to, while others will completely rely them. The American belief system views illness on many different levels from disease is inevitable regardless of what you do to prevention is the key. Unlike some countries Americans do not have universal health care, insurance coverage can vary from great to poor and this impacts the choices they make regarding the treatment they will receive and the medication they take. The American culture encompasses the science of medicine and the healing power of
prayer.
Most health beliefs come from tradition that was taught to individuals as small children and they continue to carry them through adulthood and pass it on to their children. In some cultures it is seen as an embarrassment to the family to chose differing culture beliefs then what the family accepts as their norm. As health care professionals we deal with a wide range of cultural differences and it is our duty to recognize and respect these differences thus becoming proactive for our patients to provide medical care that corresponds with their beliefs.
References:
Heritage Assessment: Developing Cultural Competency for the Geriatric Population. (2012). Retrieved July 25, 2014, from www.agec.orgFilipino Immigrants in the United States. (2013). Retrieved July 25, 2014, from www.migrationploicy.orgWhat is Paganism? | Pagan Federation International. (2014). Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.paganfederation.org/what-is-paganism/