Health Care Culture

Words: 1421
Pages: 6
Open Document
Introduction Culture “in its’ broadest sense is defined as our environment and all the things in it”
(Mayer, Villaire 2007, p. 96). It includes everything from language, race/ethnicity, beliefs, and values. Culture can affect the type healthcare treatment an individual receives. One person may decide not to receive a necessary organ transplant because their culture and belief goes against organ donation whereas another individual wants every type possible treatment. It all relates back to preference or even personal belief on the matter. Throughout this paper it will be discussed how culture affects the type health care an individual may receive. An example of this type situation that will be discussed is about a Laos woman whose family …show more content…
For example, one of the disparities noted is that, “not only income and wealth, but related factors like education and environment dramatically affect health
(Stone, 2002, p.500). As far as spiritual beliefs go different religions have different view on the type healthcare a member of that association receives. A couple of examples presented by Mayer and Villaire includes Jehovah’s Witnesses not receiving blood products and Jewish families deciding on circumcising their sons or not (Mayer, Villaire, 2007, p.112). Healthcare workers may argue with a patient over their decision but ultimately it is the patient’s choice on the treatment they receive. Healthcare workers need to be mindful of a patient’s culture in order to provide the best care that does not disrespect the patients’ culture. For some cultures body and facial language can play a vital role in showing respect. Mayer and Villaire points out that
“westerners may view eye contact as a sign of interest and respect” whereas other “cultural groups believe that it is disrespectful to make eye contact” (Mayer, Villaire, 2007, p. 118).
Being mindful of the differences mentioned above is important when being culturally sensitive to
a …show more content…
It is helpful when the person caring for the individual is fluent enough to speak that language. Having an interpreter is one benefit that hospitals can use to help with communication among patients (Stone 2002). However, an interpreter at the hospital may not be available to speak a specific language and this can then cause more problems. Fadiman discusses how the Hmong family had difficulties at the ER getting proper treatment for their daughter because the “Hmong family had no way of explaining”(Fadiman, 1997,p. 26). The hospital they were at was underfunded and did not have interpreters there at all times to help the family out. In this story the way the doctors treated the Hmong family’s daughter was by
“writing a prescription for ampicillin” (Fadiman, 1997, p. 26). The daughter that had the health problem did not need a prescription for an infection, but instead she suffered from seizures. After having multiple seizures, a doctor finally saw her having one of the seizure and correctly diagnosed her condition. A very real problem that occurred and can occur on a day-to-day basis depending on culture is communication. According to Fadiman the Hmong family
Show More

Related Documents: Health Care Culture

Culture In Health Care

There are many variables and factors that make up a culture of a healthcare organization, culture has a strong impact since it is related to organizational healthcare performance. Some studies have suggested that culture might be an important factor associated with the effectiveness of a wide variety of organizations across a range of sectors besides healthcare (Li). The health care cultures that “emphasize group affiliation, teamwork, and coordination have been associated with greater implementation…

Words 1457 - Pages 6

Essay about Health Care and Hmong Culture

Shamanism In Hmong Culture Hmongs began to settle in the United States from Southeast Asia in 1975 but still practice many traditions from their homeland today. In many cultures that migrate to new areas, practices are discontinued over time due to Americanization. Although with many younger generations these traditions may be forgotten about, for many elders they are still practiced on a regular basis today. Healthcare providers need to have an understanding of and respect the practices of other…

Words 906 - Pages 4

Russian Culture Vs Native American Culture

competent care is an expectation of health care providers today and is becoming the normal instead of the unusual. Finding and utilizing tools such as the “Heritage Assessment” questionnaire (Spectre, 2000) can help providers to evaluate the needs of patients and families, and apply cultural understanding and sensitivity to values surrounding health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration. This paper will evaluate the previous three principles of health through three separate cultures-the…

Words 1040 - Pages 5

Essay on Assessing Culutre

Assessing Culture When a nurse walks into a patient’s room an assessment begins. The nurse will begin to assess things such as the central line, IVs, the patient’s orientation but also the nurse assesses the patient’s look, language and the dynamics of the family in the room. Without meaning to the nurse will assume things about the patient’s culture and some may even adjust their care under the assumption. Our country has a wide variety of different cultures, which can make nursing care at times…

Words 1217 - Pages 5

Importance Of Cultural Awareness In Health Care

AWARENESS OF BIASES/STEREOTYPES IN HEALTH CARE 2 Cultural awareness and sensitivity is very important in health care. The administering of equitable care throughout the industry is a goal that health care professionals, regardless of the specialty, should strive to achieve. Cultural competency is key to various cultures receiving proper care. The health care professional’s passion should be to show compassion to all people. Effective…

Words 438 - Pages 2

Essay On African American Culture

Culture is a concept that makes each of us unique, unfortunately, sometimes in the busy lives of a health care provider it can be overlooked. As a nurse, it’s important that we understand the culture of whom we caring for. It is our role and duty to care for a patient as a whole. This includes understanding the patient’s physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural needs. A lack of knowledge in any of these areas could lead to miscommunication and misdiagnosis of the patient; resulting in possible health…

Words 547 - Pages 3

Cultural Competence

makes great health care. Great health care properly understands and advocates for everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from. Therefore, Cultural Competence requires health care providers to understand the differences between cultures and have the knowledge to correctly pinpoint what certain cultures need. Understanding the difference between cultures means understanding, education levels as well as learning beliefs and values relating to health and illness in a culture. Having the…

Words 227 - Pages 1

Culturally Sensitive Care

Culture plays a big role in the health care system along with being culturally aware. The main focus of this paper is on Chinese culture and how it perceives the health beliefs and practices. This includes the traditional healthcare practices, expectations of providers, unacceptable surgeries and procedures, decision making, views on mental illness, and implications for nursing care. Culturally Sensitive Care “Culture is a collection of learned, adaptive, and socially, and intergenerational transmitted…

Words 280 - Pages 2

The Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR)

patient’s wishes to physicians and other providers in the event they lose decision-making capacity. Advance Directives encompass three types of documents; the first is in the form of a surrogate decision maker or durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC), in which a designated person is the deferred authority in terms of patient’s wishes. Secondly, with respect to life-sustaining measures, a living will, specifically outlines described medical treatment desired. Lastly, the do-not-resuscitate…

Words 1283 - Pages 6

Essay on Family and Health

"To deliver high quality health care services to an increasingly diverse population, it is vital to be culturally competent. This approach is especially applicable in the United States where a big part of the population consists of immigrants coming from all over the world". (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). This is where the Heritage Assessment Tool (HAT) becomes very appropriate. It helps when assessing one’s ethnic, religious, and cultural heritage, along with health traditions. By evaluating…

Words 1597 - Pages 7