Environmental Control Environmental control is defined as the “ability of the person to control nature and to plan and direct factors in the environment that affect them” (Giger and Davidhizar 2002). Some cultures believe they control nature to meet their needs. Others believe more in external and control and instead believe nature dominates the individual. Culture greatly influences beliefs about environmental control.
Biological Variations
Diversity within a culture includes biological variations in physiological, physical, and cognitive characteristics. For example, there is evidence suggesting different races metabolize drugs differently (Giger and Davidhizar 2002). Another difference is the differences between racial groups and susceptibility to disease.
Hispanic Culture
Communication
Most Hispanic immigrants speak English fluently, however there are still many that speak mostly, if not all, Spanish (CDC 2011). Hispanics view verbal communication as courteous and respectful. However, in nonverbal communication maintaining eye contact may be interpreted as a challenge to some Hispanic cultures. Overall, Hispanic social norms emphasize the importance of communication both verbal and nonverbal in relationships (CDC 2011).
In Hispanic culture, developing a personal relationship is extremely important (Galanti 2008). Generally, a nurse who focuses on the patient’s family and interests before discussing anything “health-care” related will result a more trusting
Diversity- The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about
Cultural diversity can be defined as the cultural differences that exist between people such as, language, traditions, and the religious beliefs along with the way society carries itself. It is inevitable in the United States to notice the wide variety of cultures that with the years have come to share this land with Americans.
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.
Working with diverse populations it is also important to remember that within a specific race there are different cultures and subcultures. Culture within a race includes knowledge, beliefs, morals and customs as a part of that society. It is important to remember that just because two people have the same skin color and share genetically the same race, culturally they can be very different. In North America Native Americans are unfortunately grouped together based on similar characteristics. Although many Native American tribes due share a great deal not only genetically but culturally, tribes have developed their own set of social norms and culture based on region and possible different spiritual beliefs. To further differentiate within the
Hispanics / Latinos have strong non-verbal and verbal ways of communication. To better understand one another they overly rely the use of non-verbal communication. This includes facial expressions,
By the same token, Hispanics highly value spending time with loved ones. In the health care setting, Hispanics may show their “togetherness,” which means their closeness of families (Giger, 2008). The nurse should allow them to have family in their room if possible, to aid in the facilitation of information from the client. Despite the need for closeness, Hispanics may ask to have the same gender sex care provider for their needs, and the nurse should be able to accommodate this (Giger, 2008).
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.
For the most part, culture is the shared of basic expectations learned by a group as it find possible alternatives or ways to solve its problems. On the contrary, diversity as stated in the textbook, is the different values and cultures among members, and is more than simply an understanding of black versus white. For instance, culture could by identify through artifacts which include visible signs on the wall, how people display emotions, and the ways people address one another. Although, diversity are differences among people that could impact a work environment due to a social identity. For example, there is an increasing number of women and people of color in the workforce.
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.
Mean by Diversity the differences between individuals and groups in society arising from gender, ethnic origins, social, cultural or religious background, family structure, disabilities, sexuality and appearance. Our society is made up of people with a wide range of characteristics. Where people vary in a multitude of ways, including in their age, sex, sexual orientation, physical characteristics such as height, weight and skin colour, ability, personal experiences and personal attributes, such as beliefs, values and preferences
The United States is comprised of many cultures within a culture. America is composed of a variety of people who all have different beliefs and traditions, as well as their own unique set of beliefs regarding their healthcare practices. One such group is the Hispanic Americans who have their own very diverse cultural group. As individuals, they are just like anybody else in any other culture. However, it is worthwhile for a nurse caring for someone from this culture to know what their distinct cultural beliefs are. People belonging to a Hispanic cultural group are highly attached to the beliefs and values of their culture and follow them in every aspect of their life (Gallo, 2003). Interestingly, their cultural beliefs even influence the
Malcolm Forbes once said, “Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” The same diversity that shaped the United States going back to the sixteenth century when immigrants landed in North America. Diversity of people and species, but their real differences were religion, politics, economics, social issues, and the fantastic ways they dealt with those issues.
Diversity extends beyond race or ethnicity, religion, culture or newcomer status to include factors such as geography, language, politics, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, abilities, skills and interests.
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.
Diversity is defined as “the condition of having or being composed of differencing elements” (Webster Dictionary). Through my clinical experiences I have seen a lot of diversity whether it be different ethnicity, the family culture/make-up or students living with disabilities in the classrooms. Specifically, in my urban clinicals I saw more ethnicity and culture diversity differences between student to student and student to teacher relationships. However, in my suburban school clinical experiences I also saw diversity, but in a different way. Here I saw much more diversity in family make-up.