Cultural Considerations in Healthcare PDF

**Chapter 2 - Cultural Considerations** 1. **Key Terms:** - **Acculturation**: The process by which individuals adopt the cultural traits or social patterns of another group - **Culture**: The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular...

**Chapter 2 - Cultural Considerations** 1. **Key Terms:** - **Acculturation**: The process by which individuals adopt the cultural traits or social patterns of another group - **Culture**: The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group - **Cultural competence**: The ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures - **Cultural-bound syndrome**: A combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture - **Determinants of health**: Factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family that affect our health - **Ethnicity**: The quality or fact of belonging to a population group or subgroup made up of people who share a common descent or cultural background - **Ethnocentrism**: The evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one\'s own culture - **Health disparities/equality**: Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health - **Health literacy**: The degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others - **Health status**: A measure of how people perceive their health, rated as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor - **Race**: A category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits - **Sexuality**: The capacity for sexual feelings and the expression of sexual behavior. - **Stereotyping**: Oversimplified and fixed ideas about a person or group of people. 2. **Impact of Health Disparities**: Health disparities negatively impact the health and welfare of society by creating unequal access to healthcare, leading to higher rates of disease, disability, and mortality among disadvantaged groups. This can strain healthcare systems and lead to broader social and economic inequalities. 3. **Importance of Culturally Competent Skills**: Culturally competent skills are crucial for healthcare providers to effectively communicate with and treat patients from diverse backgrounds. These skills help in building trust, improving patient satisfaction, and ensuring better health outcomes. 4. **Components of a Cultural Assessment**: - **Cultural identity**: Understanding the patient\'s cultural background. - **Cultural explanations of illness**: How the patient perceives their illness. - **Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment**: Family dynamics, social support. - **Cultural elements of the relationship between the patient and the clinician**: Communication styles, decision-making preferences. - **Impact on nursing**: Helps in creating personalized care plans that respect the patient\'s cultural beliefs and practices. 5. **Implementing Elements of a Cultural Assessment**: - **Conducting interviews**: Asking open-ended questions about the patient\'s cultural background. - **Observing interactions**: Noting non-verbal cues and communication styles. - **Collaborating with cultural mediators**: Working with interpreters or cultural liaisons when necessary. 6. **Individualism vs. Collectivism**: - **Individualism**: Cultures that value individual autonomy and personal achievements. - **Collectivism**: Cultures that emphasize group harmony and collective well-being. - **Impact on Decision Making**: Individualistic cultures may prioritize personal choice, while collectivist cultures may involve family or community in healthcare decisions. **Chapter 5 -- Geriatric Implications for Medical-Surgical Nursing** 1. **Key Terms:** - **Ageism**: Discrimination based on age. - **Chronic Illness**: Long-term health conditions that may not have a cure. - **Elder mistreatment**: Abuse or neglect of older adults. - **Ethnogeriatric**: The study of how ethnicity and culture affect the health and well-being of older adults. - **Frail older adult**: Older adults with multiple health issues and decreased physical function. - **Medicaid**: A joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. - **Medicare**: A federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older, and some younger people with disabilities. - **Delirium**: An acute, often reversible, decline in cognitive function. - **Dementia**: A chronic or progressive syndrome characterized by cognitive decline. - **Living will/Advance directives**: Legal documents that outline a person\'s wishes regarding medical treatment in situations where they are unable to communicate. 2. **Demographics of the Aging Population**: The aging population is growing rapidly due to increased life expectancy and declining birth rates. This demographic shift presents challenges for healthcare systems, including the need for more geriatric care and resources. 3. **Age-Related Physiological Changes**: - **Cardiovascular**: Decreased cardiac output, increased blood pressure. - **Respiratory**: Reduced lung capacity, decreased oxygenation. - **Musculoskeletal**: Loss of bone density, decreased muscle mass. - **Neurological**: Slower cognitive processing, increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. - **Sensory**: Decline in vision, hearing, taste, and smell. 4. **Common Health-Care Issues of the Elderly**: - **Chronic diseases**: Hypertension, diabetes, arthritis. - **Mental health**: Depression, anxiety, dementia. - **Mobility issues**: Falls, fractures. - **Polypharmacy**: The use of multiple medications, which can lead to adverse drug interactions. 5. **Care Priorities for the Geriatric Population**: - **Preventive care**: Vaccinations, screenings. - **Chronic disease management**: Regular monitoring and treatment. - **Mental health support**: Counseling, social activities. - **Fall prevention**: Home safety assessments, physical therapy. 6. **Resources for the Elderly**: - **Local senior centers**: Offer social activities and support services. - **Home health care services**: Provide medical and personal care at home. - **Community health clinics**: Offer affordable healthcare services. - **Support groups**: Provide emotional and social support for various conditions. **Chapter 9 - Complementary and Alternative Care Initiatives** 1. **Key Terms:** - **Acupuncture**: A traditional Chinese medicine practice involving the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body. - **Chiropractic medicine**: A healthcare profession focused on diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders, primarily through spinal manipulation. - **Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)**: A diverse range of medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products not typically considered part of conventional medicine. - **Conventional medicine**: Medical practices and treatments that are widely accepted and practiced by the mainstream medical community. - **Holistic care**: An approach to healthcare that considers the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. - **Integrative medicine**: Combines conventional medical treatments with CAM practices that have been proven safe and effective. - **Western medicine**: A system of medicine based on the principles of science and the use of drugs, surgery, and other interventions to treat disease. 2. **Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)**: CAM includes practices such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga. These practices are used alongside or instead of conventional treatments to promote health and well-being. 3. **Classifications of CAM**: - **Natural products**: Herbs, vitamins, minerals. - **Mind-body practices**: Meditation, yoga, acupuncture. - **Manipulative and body-based practices**: Chiropractic, massage therapy. - **Energy therapies**: Reiki, therapeutic touch. 4. **Nursing Implications and Safety Concerns of CAM**: - **Implications**: Nurses should be knowledgeable about CAM practices to provide accurate information and support to patients who use these therapies. - **Safety concerns**: Potential interactions with conventional treatments, lack of regulation and standardization, and the need for evidence-based practice.