Assignment task:
Part #1 A person's culture, beliefs about health and illness, values, and access to care all play a big role in their overall health. Culture influences how people view health, illness, and healing, usually through traditional medicine, dietary practices, gender roles, socioeconomic factors, etc. For example, some people may prefer traditional remedies before seeking medical help, or they may have spiritual beliefs that impact their decisions about care (Nambi Namusisi, 2025). Access to care is another major factor. If people do not have transportation, health insurance, or live in rural areas without clinics, it becomes harder for them to get the care they need.
Here are some of the interventions we can implement to respect and include a patient's culture and values:
1) Cultural Assessments: Ask open-ended questions about a person's background, traditions, and beliefs to better understand their needs.
2) Clear Communication: Use language interpreters and offer materials in the patient's preferred language.
3) Family Involvement: Some cultures value family input in care decisions, so including loved ones in discussions can improve trust and care.
4) Help with Access: Include case managers or social workers to assist patients with transportation resources, insurance questions, or connecting them with social services.
Although having cultural competence is imperative to improving health outcomes, it is more about fostering trust, respect, and empathy between caregivers and patients (Lee, n.d.).
In a previous situation, I cared for a patient who preferred to have her family involved in all healthcare decisions, which is common in her Hispanic culture. I made sure to include her family in care planning and discussions. This helped build trust and made her feel respected, which led to better communication and follow-through with her treatment. Need Assignment Help?
Part #2
1. Culture can impact healthcare outcomes by the food people eat according to their culture. Some cultures emphasize eating a higher-fat diet, such as Hispanic people. Foods that the Hispanic culture enjoys eating are loaded with fat, such as tamales, enchiladas, rice, and beans. In Asian cultures, they eat a leaner diet such as fish, vegetables, and steamed rice. Also, according to culture, a person may decide to go to the doctor more often than others. Some cultures use herbs, rituals, cupping, or witch doctors instead of Western medicine. Cultures may choose to delay medical treatment.
There are some religious beliefs. Where people believe in faith and prayer and choose those alternatives instead of going to the doctor or hospital to seek medical attention (Leininger, 2002). Some people are genuinely afraid of the hospital. It's as easy as that. I have met many people in my career who delay treatment because they think they will die if they go to the hospital. Some believe that if they go to the doctor they will only get bad news so they neglect their symptoms. These patients fail to realize that delaying care is putting them at greater risk for a potential emergency. Some patients choose not to take blood pressure medicine and promise themselves to stop smoking, follow a diet, and work out instead of taking the medication. The problem is that a lot of these patients do not choose to take medicine because they are afraid, but then they don't do the things that they promised themselves they would do and they end up in a medical emergency, such as a stroke.
Social values also play a role in the approach to healthcare. Individuals who have a family or are part of the community tend to have the support to be able to make better decisions to seek medical attention. Societies that prioritize health care. Have better overall health outcomes. People's overall. Self-esteem can also Impact patients' Problems seeking help for their medical needs such as obesity, and HIV. Patients, or patients with mental illness. These patients may feel afraid of judgment from healthcare providers. There are also some cases where people have foreign objects inside their body cavities and may choose to delay care, ultimately, they know that they must come in and be seen, but they can also delay care due to this issue.
People having access to healthcare is crucial. Those individuals who do not have health insurance or financial needs to be able to afford their medications may choose to delay the care period. I have also had patients who choose not to be admitted even though they have a critical problem, such as a cardiac condition called wolf Parkinson's white (WPW). I have had a patient choose to go home instead of being admitted because they stated they couldn't afford the cost of admission. This is a very unfortunate situation, and I always try to be an advocate for my patients and explain that they can always make payments and that no money is required upfront to receive medical attention for an emergency. Immigrants from other countries who also do not speak the language may also delay seeking care for their medical needs because of fear of not being understood or being able to communicate with the healthcare providers. People living in rural areas may also be limited in what kind of hospitals are available in the area.
2. One of the things I can do to ensure in the clinical settings that cultural considerations are implemented is to learn about different cultures. I try to educate myself on different cultures and beliefs to ensure I know the dynamics of different people. For instance, in some Asian cultures, it is considered rude to stare into elder people's eyes. Due to this, I do not command or feel disrespected if eye contact is not met. In certain cultures, the male makes all the decisions for their family even if it is not the best care for the patient. This must be respected. If they are adults, I will always confirm with the patient if they are okay with the decision. For certain Muslim cultures, they believe in washing the body after death (Spector, 2017). Nurses need to be educated in all cultures and beliefs so that they can make the patients feel comfortable and respected. I also always talk with the patients and build repour. I ask them if there are any cultural considerations they would like implemented in their care. I will choreograph with staff and doctors to make accommodations for the patient as much as possible. Respecting people's cultures, values, and beliefs is an ethical thing to do, especially in the healthcare setting.
3. I have had to make considerations for patients in the past. There was a patient of Middle Eastern descent, and it was during Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting, praying, and reflection (Ahmed, 2017). I had a patient that I knew was fasting and it was during Ramadan. I was very considerate of him not being able to eat so I would not offer food to him and informed my staff so that they would also be considerate of his beliefs. It seems cruel to offer food to someone who is fasting. I would also make sure if they were making food for another patient that they did not leave the sent linger or parade it for that patient to be tempted. These are some of the considerations I made for this patient.
I also have had plenty of homeless people who are just looking for shelter, especially during extreme temperatures. I always have compassion for these types of patients. I always try to educate my staff and explain that not everyone in this life has been given the same opportunities as others. Some people have had hard upbringings and have always lived in poverty. Nurses should be a lot less judgmental. I always provide lots of resources for these types of patients. I will give them flyers for homeless shelters, cooling centers, and food pantries. I always give them a bag of food to hold them over for at least the day. I have had nurses get annoyed or upset because I feed the homeless. If it was me and I were in that situation, I would be so thankful for a helping hand. I always feed pediatric patients too, I do not know when they ate or if their parent's finances are in order.