Heritage Assessment Grand Canyon University October 19, 2013 Heritage Assessment The United States is known as the melting pot, made up of diverse cultures from all around the world. Each culture has their own unique, individual set of values, beliefs and traditions that influence and shape their life choices, including those related to health. Cultural values “shape human behaviors and determine what individuals will do to maintain their health status, how they will care for themselves, and others who become ill, and where and from whom they will seek health care” (Edelman & Mandle, 2010, p. 32). This paper will compare how three families’ from different cultural backgrounds approach health practices. Heritage Assessment Tool Cultural beliefs and values are as unique and special as each individual.
Heritage assessment offers an affirmative holistic structure for measurement and provision for racially proficient care. Health tradition evaluation form visualizes health as “the state of equilibrium inside the body, mind, and spirit, and with the family, community, and the powers of the natural world (Spector, 2004b). It helps nurses detect one’s classification with hereditary traditions. At first, nurses need to understand their own beliefs in order to respect each individual’s wishes to facilitate communication that can lead to healing process. Nurses intermingle with people from diverse branch of the world with a mixture of civilizing practices, so cultural alertness seems essential in creating a patient-nurse relationship during the interview phase of the health assessment, initial step of the nursing process.
I talk to my patients and their families about balanced diets, physical activities, fresh air, and having close personal relationships are in regards to health and balance. According to Jordan mindfulness is “as an individual learning process characterized by a heightened awareness of the specific circumstances in a given situation”(2009, p. 168). Mindfulness allows me to deliver safe and effective care to my patients. Being mindful is vital to my nursing practice. “Today’s healthcare environment is turbulent, rapidly presenting nurses with stimuli, interruptions, and competing priorities.
Mrs. Singh believes that one must do their part (eat healthy, practice safe behaviors, and pray) to be on the road to a speedy recovery and God will take care of the rest. According to Mrs. Singh, the critical components of healing are praying to the God of Health, Wahguru, as well as reading and following the words of Guru Granth Sahib in the Holy Book. Another component of healing is listening to religious songs. Mrs. Singh’s spouse and children read Guru Granth Sahib’s words to her every day and chanted the words of hymns together as a family. Mrs. Singh liked spending time with her family, and the frequent visits by immediate and distant family members helped her to not focus on her illness.
This means that the agencies identify needs and improvement areas pertaining to the care of the patient to ensure standards throughout all hospitals and health care facilities. The professional nursing organizations (PNO), such as the American Nurses Association have the care of the nurses and patients for the agenda and according to Cherry & Jacob these “organizations monitor public policy and offer avenues for their members to learn about health policy, they serve as an invaluable resources for reliable information related to policy issues and policymakers.” (2011)(p. 489). These professional organizations support the efforts of the nurses in all states and reflect guidelines for all nurses to adhere to provide the best possible care for the patients. As an example, the ANA notifies members of upcoming legislation that will impact the nurses at hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. Through this interaction the nurses are better informed as to what is happening in the political arena, such as patient ratios and shift lengths, this may impact the ability to care for patients or allow the care to improve.
It has both centralized and decentralized structures. The health care delivery system is unique providing services, such as caregivers, hospitals, laboratories, and pharmacies. It is an all-rounder in the health care industry that plays different positions ranging from delivering health care to providing health care treatment. The organization is operated by health care professionals, business professionals, construction workers, and customer service experts. Kaiser Permanente has “universal commitment improving the health and wellness of the members, patients, colleagues, and communities” (Kaiser Permanente, 2012).
Healthcare is an important area where the cultural practices of an individual have got lot of influence. Therefore it is important for nurses as healthcare providers to know how to assess a person’s heritage in order to build up a healthy client- provider relationship and provide holistic care. Heritage and ethnicity are in a way inter-related as ethnic groups have a common or similar heritage. Different cultures or ethnicities have different life values about spirituality, relationships, wellbeing or illness and life and death etc. The use of heritage assessment tools helps one to understand the values and
Mid-Columbia’s mission is to lead and act as a catalyst in promoting health for all people. They want to recognize the individual as a whole human being with different needs and to communicate a vision of health and education to upgrade the quality of life in the community environment. They believe it is important to empower people to become partners in their own healthcare. Mid-Columbia’s commitment to meet or exceed expectations of patients and to create an exceptional experience, results in industry leading levels of patient satisfaction (MCMC,
Communication incorporates the basic elements of communication; meaning there are so many cultural differences, personalities, languages, beliefs, values, morals, and behavior. This is why establishing positive communication along with understanding cultural differences will allow professionals to understand the patient while focusing on his or her need of care. Communication in the health care industry starts the minute a physician meets with the patient on the very first visit or with the receptionist the minute a patient walks in the health facility. When communication is established it should be maintained at all times and on all levels whether it is verbal or non-verbal. Effective Communication takes place through direct communication, voice messages, e-mailing, filling prescriptions, phone calls, memos, letters, and making appointments.
Nowadays the goal of the nursing service is to provide the optimal and holistic care for all clients, to be culturally competent is an ingredient in order to accomplish quality care and health outcomes. Nurses in clinical practice have to utilize and gain the understanding of transcultural concepts to develop and implement culturally sensitive nursing cares to the multiplicity of people who now live in contemporary social communities. (Leininger, 2002). The centrality of diverse culture or religion practice and the family are closely interrelated and reflect many aspects of health care. All in all, these come to an issue to me as I have been working in a private Christian hospital.