Cultures and Nursing Flashcards
What is acculturation?
Members of a non-dominant cultural group adapt to or borrow traits from another culture - changing one’s cultural patterns to those of the host country
What is assimilation?
the process by which an individual develops a new cultural identity - becoming like the members of the dominant culture
What is ethnocentrism?
the belief ones own culture or way of life is better than others
What is cultural sensitive care?
Nurses possess some basic knowledge of and constructive attitude towards the health traditions observed in the diverse cultural groups found in the setting in which they are practicing.
What is culturally appropriate care?
The nurse applies their underlying background knowledge they possess to provide an individual with the best possible health care
What is cultural competence?
The nurse understands and attends to the total context of a person’s situation ad uses a complex combination of knowledge, attitudes and skills.
What is cultural safety?
the effective nursing practice of a person or family from another culture and is determined by that person or family. Cultural includes, but is not restricted to, age or generation, gender, sexual orientation, occupation and socioeconomic status, ethnic origin or migrant experience, religious or spiritual belief, and disability.
What are the steps to achieving cultural safety?
1 - cultural awareness - understanding there is a difference in the social, economic and political context in which people exist.
2- cultural sensitivity - nurses are aware of the legitimacy of difference and self-explores their own experiences and realities, and the impact these may have on others
3- cultural safety - enables safe service to be defined by those who receive the service
What is the “iceberg” model of culture?
The awareness that a person’s culture can be visible (above the water) or invisible (below the water).
Visible aspects of culture are: ways of life, laws and customs, institutions, methods, techniques, rituals and language.
Invisible aspects are broken into thinking and feeling.
Thinking: norms, roles, ideologies, beliefs and philosophies.
Feeling: values, tastes, attitudes, desires, assumptions, expectations, myths, etc.
What is the health traditions model?
Holistic health - what people do from a traditional perspective to prevent illness and maintain, protect and restore health.
Encompasses the body (genetic inheritance, body chemistry, gender, age, nutrition and physical condition), the mind (cognitive processes, thoughts, memories, knowledge, feelings, defences, self-esteem) and spirit (spiritual practices and teaching, dreams, symbols, stories, protecting forces and metaphysical or native forces)
What are the major health beliefs/practices?
- spiritual health belief - ill health is god’s will
- scientific or biomedical health belief - life is controlled by physical and biochemical processes that can be manipulated and treated by humans. Medicine and surgery.
- holistic health belief - forces of nature must be maintained in balance and harmony - examples include yin and yang, hot and cold
- Indigenous health belief - holistic “everything important in a person’s life including land environment, physical body, community, relationships and law.”
How to effectively communicate with people of other cultures
- avoid slang words, medical jargon and abbreviations
- include gestures and pictures
- speak slowly, respectively and at regular volume
- frequently ensure the person understands what is being said by asking them to paraphrase it back
What are cultural assessment considerations?
- cultural traditions
- spiritual and religious rituals
- communication and verbal/non-verbal language
- cultural health practices
- cultural views of health and illness
- cultural family roses and definitions
