Chapter 4: cultural influences on nursing care Flashcards
culture
- the socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and all other characteristics of people that guide their view of the world
cultural sensitivity
using culturally appropriate language and not offending another person’s cultural beliefs
cultural awareness
an appreciation for and attention to a culture’s celebrations, foods, and traditional arts and clothing
cultural competence
the skills and knowledge required to prove effective nursing care
ethnocentrism
thinking that one’s culture’s ways of thinking, acting, and believing are the only right and natural ways
stereotype
an opinion or belief about a group of people that is ascribed to an individual
acculturation
when immigrants to a new country learn to accept their own beliefs as well as those of their new country
cultural assimilation
when immigrants to a new country take on teh dominant’s culture’s values, beliefs, and practices
cultural conflict
when one’s own culture conflicts with his/her new culture
cultural shock
when vales, beliefs, and practices sanctioned by a new culture are very different from a person’s native culture
spirituality
- gives meaning and purpose to existence
- religion and spirituality may overlap
addressing spirituality
- improve pts’ comfort levels emotionally and physically
- has a positive effect on pts’ response to illness and treatments
characteristics of cultural diversity
- primary characteristics: nationality, race, skin color, gender, age, spirituality, and religious affiliation
- secondary characteristics: socioeconomic status, education, occupation, miitary experience, political beliefs, marital status, parental status, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, and gender roles
cultural phenomena across all cultural groups
- communication styles
- space
- time orientation
- social organization
- environmental control/health beliefs
- choice of HCP’s
- biological variations
- death and dying issues
communication styles
- verbal: spoken language, dialects, and voice volume
- nonverbal: use and degree of eye contact, the perception of time, and physical closeness
- nursing assessment and strategies: speak slowly and clearly, provide written instructions in pts preferred language, use professional interpreters
space
- personal space differs between close friends vs strangers and across cultures
- nursing assessment and strategies: maintain appropriate physical distance (observe for cues), make sure pts physical environment is arranged to ensure safety, security, and familiarity
time orientation
- clock time vs social time
- orientation: past, present, future
- nursing assessment and strategies: have a clock in pt room, assess for orientation; reorient to time as needed, give time options when appropriate
social organization
- patriarchal, matriarchal, or egalitarian
- gender roles and elder roles vary across families and cultures
- extended family may be important
- nursing assessment and strategies: ask who lives in pts household, observe use of touch between family members, let family members decide where they want to stand or sit for comfort
environmental control: 3 concepts
- perception of ability to control what happens to one’s health
- beliefs about health and illness
- beliefs in alternative health care therapies
nursing assessment and strategies: never stereotype, perform a cultural assessment of all pts, ask about religious beliefs and practices
choice of health care providers
- physicians vs traditional healers
- religious influences
- gender issues
- nursing assessment and strategies: ask what HCPs pts see when ill, ask if pts object to male or female HCPs, observe for alternative care providers who may visit the pt
biological variations
- body structure
- skin color
- vital signs
- lab values
- disease susceptibility
- nutrition variations
- nursing assessment and strategies: teach about biological variations that may pertain to pt
death and dying issues
- burial practices
- autopsy beliefs
- expression of grief
- nursing assessment and strategies: support family in their expression of grief, observe for differences in the expression of grief among family members, offer to obtain a religious counselor/spiritual leader if the family wishes
ethnic and cultural groups
- European American (white)
- Spanish/Hispanic/Latino
- African American (Black)
- American Indian/Alaskan Native
- Aarab American
- Asian American
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
culturally competent care
- be aware of your own heritage
- appreciate that pts are unique, influenced by culture
- learn about cultural groups
- incorporate pts cultural values, beliefs, and practices into care
