Wade, D, (2009) ‘Holistic Health Care, What is it, and how can we achieve it?’ [Online]. Available at http://www.noc.nhs.uk/oce/researcheducation/documents/HolisticHealthCare09-11-15.pdf (Accessed 7 November 2012 )…
In the article “Improve Aboriginal Health through Oral History” the author looks at culturally sensitive knowledge system that is…
Two major societal factors that have contributed possibly to the health outcomes of Native Americans are discrimination and poverty. For many generations, Native Americans have been coerced to vacate their lands leaving behind culture and traditions stripping away their communal pride. They have been huddled to rural impoverished areas causing them detrimental physical and psychiatric health effects.…
My worldview is very similar to Indigenous worldview when it comes to family, nationhood, and stories. A family is something that you love and they love you more than anything. My and the indigenous worldviews are very similar when it comes to family. In indigenous worldview, everything is done within their families and for me, a family is someone who is always there, always by your side. Moreover, nationhood is one other thing I have similar worldviews as the indigenous worldview. According to the indigenous worldview, they have their own language, own story, own culture. I have my culture too, with my customs, and my families traditions. Finally, stories are also one other thing I have in common with indigenous worldview. Just like indigenous…
Holistic nursing care involves taking care of the patient as a whole and this includes the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental well- being (Doosey and Keegan, 2013). As a nurse, taking care of these modalities will assist with promoting healing within and allow the patient to cope with their illnesses. An interview was conducted with a close family member in order to develop a holistic care plan. The family member sometimes struggles with dealing and coping with the current symptoms related to their illness. This essay will discuss the family member demographic information, which includes the following: their past and present health status, and present concerns. Second, there will be a discussion on the family member coping patterns, health values, social support, spiritual practices, and personal health goals.…
As a prospective medical student, I am fully aware about the sociocultural and socioecononomical determinants of health. In Saskatoon, I was exposed to the lower overall health and the decreased availability of health care services for the First Nations community. Furthermore, these limited health care services often undermined traditional native medicine. These experiences will encourage me to inform myself about the medical practices specific to my future patients' cultures. As a medical student, I would like to have the opportunity to give back to underserved populations, especially the Hispanic community, because my background and upbringing will allow me to empathize and respect cultural diversity, both…
Indian American/Alaska Natives are one of the minority groups that struggle daily for improvement in cultural status, providing for their families, and living a healthy life. The percentage of Indian American/Alaska Natives who lacked health insurance in 2013 was 2.6% (CDC Feb 3rd, 2015). This paper will discuss the Indian American/Alaska Natives current health status, health promotion among this diverse minority group, and how this group relates to health disparities. Lastly, this paper will discuss three levels of health prevention that is likely to be the most effective given…
The health of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared to the non-Indigenous population is significantly poorer (Wieland 2014, p. 12). The “Closing the Gap” campaign aims to create generational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality (Wieland 2014, p. 12). This essay will discuss the Aboriginal And Torres Strait health reforms, factors that impact on their health and wellbeing and strategies that allow protection against adversity. This essay will also discuss examples of childhood services available, targeted interventions to improve health and wellbeing in their early years and rationales and actions the Registered Nurse can use to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families when providing health care. Approaches to communication, examples of how the nurse can work collaboratively with families and health care professionals and how to ensure health care is compatible with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders concept of family will also be discussed in this essay.…
These measures seek to prevent the problem before it occurs. Measures taken include enlightening the people about practices that would prevent them from encountering health problems such as good nutrition, avoiding drug and substance abuse, and exercising (Institute for Work and Health, 2006). Prevention involves immunization of the people as a preventive measure against some of the diseases they are prone to and curbing potential hazards in their dwelling places to prevent them from contracting and spreading the diseases (Institute for Work and Health, 2006). It also involves encouraging the minority groups to undergo regular checks to ensure the detection of any health issues as early as possible. This preventive approach is very effective among these minority groups since their access to healthcare is limited (Institute for Work and Health, 2006). Most of the people in these two minority groups do not have basic health care knowledge; enlightening them would be very beneficial to them. One way to provide education and health promotion which may be effective in the American Indian sector is to provide story-telling. Story telling has been part of the American Indian Heritage for centuries and is well respected in the culture (Journal of Transcultural Nursing : Official Journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society / Transcultural Nursing Society, 2002). Health…
The practice of healing is a relevant matter that can involve purely spiritual, purely physical, or both means of treatment. It can differ according to a cultural group’s norms and rituals. Obviously, theories of spiritual energy cannot be authenticated by the scientific method, and thus are typically dismissed as non-empirical beliefs by the scientific community, which is a straw man fallacy. Yet, at times, even doctors have no other explanation than to use the term “miracle,” whether believers in a non-physical essence or not. The outlook one takes on their illness has been known to either worsen or help their condition.…
However, Indigenous scholars have long suggested that any discussions related to health disparities among First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples be framed within the context of colonization, including the intergenerational trauma resulting from the residential school experience and child welfare systems (Blackstock, 2011; King et al., 2009) Their contribution has been through multiple mechanisms, including at the individual, family, community and societal levels. Survivors and their families experience shame and deeply rooted mistrust and anger (Christian & Spittal, 2008). Furthermore, cultural identities were eroded through this systematic approach to assimilation, which has lead to a loss of language, tradition and connectedness, and has resulted in isolation, marginalization, family breakdown and poor coping mechanisms for many Indigenous peoples in Canada (Loppie-Reading & Wein,…
This research is being submitted on August 2, 2013 for Michelle MacDonald NUR4529 Public Health and Community Nursing…
Indigenous traditions collectively play an important global healthcare role. The World Health Organization recommended that they be integrated into national healthcare programs because 80% of the World’s population cannot afford western high-tech medicine (Johnston). Native American medicine was more advanced than the white man’s at the time of their arrival with different goals and different methods of healing. Through trial and error, Native American healers were able to find the correct concoction of this mold and that fungus to cure certain illnesses.…
By supportive environment it means more than the physical environment such as where they live and go to school, it is also the social environment around them including their family situation, peer group and other social interactions (Marmot, 2011). These may also be called the determinants of health. Many indigenous families will find that their parents also suffer from a mental illness or in server cases can be abusive to the child (physical, verbal and sexual), neglectful to the child's health and needs or suffer substance abuse (Parker & Milroy, 2010). This will affect their mental health at a very young age leading on through adolescents. To overcome these issues the adolescent will need strong social relationships and networks, which some indigenous young people will not have (ABS, 2008). These social networks are important because they will help with preventing the onset of illnesses, help with recovering and prevention of them returning (WHO,…
Communities, individuals, and families necessitate holistic care; therefore, holistic care encompasses evaluating and treating individuals’ mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, cultural, and psychological needs. In addition, holistic care is essential for all persons to achieve ultimate health and wellbeing; and, healing the whole person should be the aim of nurses (Eliopoulos, 2014). Patients’ have a right to receive individualized patient centered care, and nurses have a responsibility to be culturally competent and ensure holistic care that respects patients’ values and ethics. By remaining sensitive to each individual’s values we can execute delivery of care by treating the body, mind, and spirit to promote efficient and effective quality of…