Mexican American Culture

In rural Iowa, there are few individuals who are knowledgeable of the Hispanic culture due to the small number of Hispanic individuals that have sought out care in the past. Recently, there has been an influx the number of Hispanic Americans seeking care in this area, making the delivery of culturally sensitive communication and care an important topic. According to DeNisco & Barker (2016), the nature of nursing care encompasses the need to be aware of cultural diversity (p. 581). Meaning that nurses need to strive for cultural competence to reach the societies expectations in the delivery of nursing care (DeNisco & Barker, 2016). We are going to take a look at how nurses can make a few changes that will make providing culturally competent care to the Hispanic population easier in these settings.

In our society today, culture is not what it used to be hundreds of years ago. There is no more “pure” culture. Our culture today is enriched with many different traditions and customs that are being shared and adopted. Due to emigration and immigration, a variety of diverse customs, beliefs, and knowledge moved with every exiting and entering human being. Thus, changing and shaping the culture of many. Throughout the world, the beliefs and religious views of culture are dissimilar around the world. By taking the time to read, listen and learn about certain people’s culture, there will be knowledge and understanding that will be gained.

A misperception of the global community is that countries are comprised of a single culture. In this compartmentalized worldview, a country has the same food, ideas, and traditions as if our national borders are the only aspect to define us. However, Mexico is far from a homogenized culture or identity; there is a myriad of differences within present day Mexico and the Mexican-American Community. In Chicago, the Westside neighborhood of Pilsen showcases the rich diversity of Mexican culture. Pilsen has changed hands as many immigrants thrived in its streets throughout the century and is now predominantly Latino/Mexican. The small neighborhood’s vibrant culture is encapsulated in the brilliantly colored painted murals featured on many building,

The nursing profession is known for being a caring and compassionate career path that is loving and accepting of all individuals. The traits of many of us are based on our cultural background and therefore it is important to be culturally aware of different traditions and preferences pertaining to cultures that we directly interact with. Both taking into consideration the patient’s culture and recognizing the impact of one’s own personal beliefs are competencies that a nurse should demonstrate and are listed under the first standard of practice according to the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2015).

With the large increase multicultural population in the United States, nurses encounter patients with differences in healthcare beliefs, values and customs. To provide adequate nursing care, nurses must be aware of these differences. They must respect and acknowledge the patient’s culture. To do this, nurses need education on cultural competence to ensure patient satisfaction and better patient outcomes.

Nursing is generally viewed as a simple profession were you learn to take blood pressure, temperature and smile. However in reality nurses are the most reliable people the vulnerable population trust during the time of need. The vulnerable population include the mentally challenged, the unborn, those with few financial or social resources and those with cases as the incarcerated and the immigrants. The nurses also play an important role in promoting social justices. The nurses apply the ethical principles of justice to care for this venerable population with very limited funds. To provide nursing care to this population, nurses avoid to be judgmental and focus to care for the client as a person not a criminal in order to deliver effective nursing care. For example a study conducted by Kim-Lu, D. (2015).found that despite the expected impact of the Affordable Care Act in reducing uninsured rates, future efforts to remedy the barriers to access to healthcare for the Asian American subgroups will require a multifaceted approach that moves towards integrating vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, into the mainstream healthcare system and establishes targeted interventions such as language assistance and comprehensive case management services.

Statistics show that the Columbus, Ohio metro area is becoming more diverse. Even though the majority of the population is made up of Whites, that percentage is decreasing while the percentage of Blacks, Latinos and Asians is increasing (Diversity Data, 2012). I work in an outpatient unit that serves a diverse patient population, and Leininger’s concepts of transcultural nursing highlight the importance of learning about the cultural influences that affect the health and wellness of ethnic populations (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). Transcultural nursing addresses cultural influences such as values, beliefs, and behavior and examines how they affect health and wellness. In this paper, I will discuss perceptions of health and illness in the Hispanic community, examine the overarching issue presented in a video that I reviewed, discuss what can be done to overcome the issue in the video, and share a barrier that I experience in my nursing practice and how I overcome the barrier.

It is essential when entering health care as a professional nurse to realize that health care workers, doctors, nurses, and other health care providers, form their own culture with their own beliefs and attitudes about the care that’s delivered and the patients whom they serve. Because there are significant barriers to health care for Hispanics, particularly those that are Mexican-American, in order to provide culturally competent care, the professional nurse must implement effective communication, convey respect to the patient, and take a thorough health history from each patient. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the background of the Mexican-American Hispanic patient, compare and contrast their culture to the culture of those that work in health care in the United States, and recommendations for the professional nurse using Purnell’s Cultural Theory for support and a reflection on Wellness Day for Health Promotion focusing on Hispanic heritage including Curanderismo.

Every culture has their own unique and distinguishing characteristics. One’s cultural identity defines who they are as an individual, group, and community. Their cultural identity may be reflected in numerous ways such as: language, communication styles, religion, beliefs, values, clothing, or other types of aesthetic markers. Cultural identity is formed by many of these traits but is not limited to these specifically. This essay will provide detailed information on Mexican Americans, and their ancestry and heritage. I will also explain about this cultures central beliefs and values, while incorporating information on Mexican Americans, cultural patterns, cultural identity, and their cultures communication characteristics and styles.

Cultural, traditional, and religious values have an influence on health patterns and behaviors exhibited by the community. Hispanic culture is dominant due to the close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. Fifty-two percent of households use a language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Therefore, an understanding of Hispanic culture is necessary for health care workers to effectively care for patients in this community.

Nursing is generally viewed as a simple profession where you learn to take blood pressure, temperature, and smile. However, in reality, nurses are the most reliable people the vulnerable population trust during the time of need. The vulnerable population includes the mentally challenged, the unborn, those with few financial or social resources and those with cases as the incarcerated and the immigrants. The nurses also play an important role in promoting social justices. The nurses apply the ethical principles of justice to care for this venerable population with very limited funds. To provide nursing care to this population, nurses avoid to be judgmental and focus on caring for the client as a person not a criminal in order to deliver effective nursing care. For example a study conducted by Kim-Lu, D. (2015).found that despite the expected impact of the Affordable Care Act in reducing uninsured rates, future efforts to remedy the barriers to access to healthcare for the Asian American subgroups will require a multifaceted approach that moves towards integrating vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, into the mainstream healthcare system and establishes targeted interventions such as language assistance and comprehensive case management services.

Hart and Mareno (2013) wrote in their article, Cultural challenges, and barriers through the voices of nurses, nurses are being tested in today 's healthcare environment to provide culturally competent care to their patients which consist of a diverse population. Nurses, according to Hart

Culturally Competent Health Care: A Look into Mexican-American Culture With cultural diversity in the United States coming to an all-time high, it is essential for nursing professionals to learn to provide culturally congruent care for their patients. In order to provide this type of care, nurses must realize that every culture has their own set of values, beliefs, behavior patterns and lifestyles. By gathering information specific to a culture such as their definition of health, traditional health practices, and typical behaviors regarding health, nurses are able to use preservation and accommodation in order to provide culturally congruent care for their patients.

I chose this article because I find it interesting and of great help to any nursing and health care professional; I am Hispanic myself and constantly looking for better ways to help my community. I personally see my grandmother struggling whenever she needs to see her physician, as she sometimes does not understand what him and his staff are telling her. On another note nursing is an ever changing career and the Hispanic culture is growing at an enormous rate, becoming culturally competent does not only provide the patient with good care but can make the nurses’ job easier and more rewarding. I do feel that there should be more research on this subject; the best way to learn about a patient’s cultural beliefs is to ask the patient. I think that the population that the author intended to target is health care professionals; however, I know that any immigrant can benefit from reading this article.

They also make a point that culturally competent nurses “lead to equitable, evidence based health care delivery.” In the article “Cultural Self-Efficacy of Second Degree Nursing Students in Providing Care to Immigrants” by Miskin PHN, PHDs Matthews, Wallace, and Fox agree with the idea of Diaz, Clarke and Gautas article. They say that “the weak sense of confidence among nursing students, when it comes to trans-cultural nursing, indicates the need for greater emphasis on culturally congruent care across nursing curricula, including second degree pre-licensure nursing programs.”