Nursing requires a tremendous amount of care both physically and psychosocially. Besides having a well-rounded medical knowledge, it is important for nurses to be aware of religious and cultural practices that are utilized in the world today. There is a multiplicity of different religious backgrounds and gaining knowledge on their differences and important traditions will allow nurses to provide competent care.
In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process, one with many unique traditions that give friends and family the opportunity to spend time with the deceased. When death occurs, and Jewish rituals begin, the body is never left alone, as mourners will focus on showing respect for the dead and consolation for the living. Many communities are known for having a burial society, called the “Chevra Kaddisha,” or “Holy Society,” that’s purpose is to clean, and then wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. Then, a room is chosen and candles will be lit to represent the “shomerim” (meaning “guards”) that will watch over the body, as it is laid on the floor and covered. Because of this, the body cannot be cremated or embalmed, and even autopsies are severely discouraged, as these acts would disrupt the traditional Jewish mourning rituals. Within 24 hours of death, and before sunset if possible, the body is then placed in a casket and buried. Coffins are not required, however, if one is used, it must have holes drilled in the bottom, so the body may still come in contact with the ground. As for the living, Jewish mourners start phases of grief traditions, beginning with the tearing of one’s own clothing (Rich, 1996). Per tradition, mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a sp...
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...ople cope with death. It is necessary for nurses to have empathy, compassion, and kindness when providing care for a dying patient and their family. Having a good knowledge base on important customs and rituals specific to certain religions will give nurses a better understanding of patient backgrounds. This will enable nurses to better help patients through grieving processes and will allow nurses to gain a better understanding of the patient’s family’s expectations post- death. Furthermore, the knowledge nurses gain about various aspects of religion, may help them to be unbiased toward their patients beliefs in relation to their own. This will permit nurses to have a therapeutic relationship with patients and families and will allow nurses to provide quality care. Providing religious support to patients and their families is significant when coping with death.
...uals, even if they don't agree with them. It really falls to nurses to address the situation properly, and effectively ensure that the cultural communication between the doctor and the patient does not break down. Nurses most of all have to communicate with patients in a healing way, even if they do not agree with mystical remedies because the nurse has to recognize that there is nonetheless a function that mystical ritual remedies do serve, even to western medicine: to comfort the patients and their families. Ancient rituals or customs, retained to some extent or respected by western caregivers, can serve to maintain a healing and positive attitude, and as a psycholgocial support which the nurse can provide through respect and symbolic use of non-western cultural myths as a psychological stimulant to assist the healing process and inspire the patient thereof.
Puchalski, C. M., Dorff, D. E., Hebbar, B. N., & Hendi, Y. (2012). Religion, spirituality, and end of life care. RELIGION, SPRITUALITY, AND END OF LIFE CARE. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/religion-spirituality-and-end-of-life-care?source=search_result&search=Religion%2C+spirituality%2C+and+end+of+life+care&selectedTitle=1%7E146#
Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States, and the majority of them are Mexican in origin (Kemp, 2001). The Roman Catholic Church plays a vital role in the culture and daily life of many Mexican Americans. Consequently, healthcare personnel must become culturally competent in dealing with the different beliefs possessed by these individuals. Nurses must have the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver care that is congruent with the patient’s cultural beliefs and practices (Kearney-Nunnery, 2010). The ways that a nurse cares for a Mexican American patient during the process of dying or at the critical time of death is especially important. The purpose of this paper is to examine Mexican Americans’ beliefs concerning terminal illness and death, explain the role of the nurse desired by Mexican Americans, and discuss how the knowledge gained will be incorporated into future nursing practice.
When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again.
Nurses are both blessed and cursed to be with patients from the very first moments of life until their final breath. With those last breaths, each patient leaves someone behind. How do nurses handle the loss and grief that comes along with patients dying? How do they help the families and loved ones of deceased patients? Each person, no matter their background, must grieve the death of a loved one, but there is no right way to grieve and no two people will have the same reaction to death. It is the duty of nurses to respect the wishes and grieving process of each and every culture; of each and every individual (Verosky, 2006). This paper will address J. William Worden’s four tasks of mourning as well as the nursing implications involved – both when taking care of patients’ families and when coping with the loss of patients themselves.
Nursing professionals deal with a lot of stress in the course of their duty and this could lead to burnouts, and frustration. They absorb both positive and negative aura constantly when dealing with suffering and dying patients and their families. Due to their close proximity with patients, they stand the risk of getting blamed when situations become unpleasant. However, the most important factor to recall is that nursing is all about compassionate and non-judgmental care.
I am grateful to be at an institution of higher learning that understands and respects faith. My philosophy of nursing cannot be explained without God and Jesus. They are a part of each one of us. The reason that someone goes into a healthcare professional is usually to favorably treat a patient’s health. Spirituality of mind and body cannot be separated completely in my nursing philosophy. In this vein, nursing cannot be wholly separated from faith.
This paper explores the concept of culture, its definitions, and its application to nursing and health care. Culture is a group's customs, habits, morals, and shared beliefs. The understanding of culture, not only as a concept, but how it relates to health care is imperative for providers. The lack of cultural awareness, or competency, leads to miscommunication, inadequacy of care, and health disparities among individuals and groups. Jehovah’s Witness’ are one group of individuals with defined morals and beliefs that can be at odds with routine health care: they do not accept most blood products. Understanding how culture can impact a patient, their needs, and beliefs can improve patient outcomes and improve satisfaction rates.
Religion is a significant aspect of culture that must be understood and respected. Through understanding the differences in peoples cultures, a nurse who is tending to a patient who’s beliefs differ from his or her own can appropriately adjust care to respect the patient’s beliefs and
They will need to have an understanding of their spiritual and religion aspects, practiced by the patients and their family members. With having the understanding of the patient’s beliefs, the patient may consider the treatment from the health care provider. It is very crucial and imperative the health care providers listen to all aspects of the patients’ lives, which will affec...
Transcultural nursing requires us to care for our patients by providing culturally sensitive care over a broad spectrum of patients. The purpose of this post is to describe cultural baggage, ethnocentrism, cultural imposition, prejudice, discrimination, and cultural congruence. I will also give an example of each term to help you understand the terminology related to nursing care. I will definite cultural self-assessment and explain why it is valuable for nurses to understand what their own self-assessment means. Finally, I will describe the five steps to delivering culturally congruent nursing care and how I have applied these concepts in my nursing practice.
The term culture is defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups” (Potter & Perry, 2013). With the increase of culturally diverse populations in the United States, it is important for nurses to practice cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to acquire specific behaviors, skills, attitudes, and policies in a system that permits “effective work in a cross-cultural setting” (OMH, 2013). Being culturally competent is essential because nurses who acknowledges and respects a patient’s health beliefs and practices are more likely to have positive health outcomes (OMH, 2012). Every culture has certain views and attitudes concerning health. The Jewish (also referred to as Jews), in particular, have intriguing health practices and beliefs that health care providers need to be aware of.
Leininger’s theory of cultural care diversity and universality is about caring, which is the essence of nursing and is recognized in the theory of basic human needs. Her theory incorporates anthropology, which focuses towards caring, culture values, and pattern rather than medical symptoms and treatments. Concepts of Leininger’s theory revolves around caring, which is essential for growth, development and survival. Leininger’s transcultural nursing is our “‘cultural knowledge that is used in our actions to promote positive health behavior among patients and foster culturally sensitive and congruent care’ (Campesino, 2008)” (Posner p.151). Providing client centered care not only enables trust, but also fulfills the patient’s potential health needs and nursing roles with the best outcome. I believe it is important to understand that America has more demands for cultural diversity; therefore, we must be able to meet these demands with the appropriate interventions. Cultural misunderstandings and applying inappropriate interventions become a cultural stress for the nurse-patient relationship; distrust could lead to nurses being unable to collect the necessary information to effectively provide the right care. To understand and respect different religious cultures are also important in the nursing process. This can help nurses to understand and improve quality of
When death occurs, the body is prepared for viewing. People of the same gender prepare the body by laying their “hands across the chest, closing the eyelids, anointing the body with oil, and placing flower garlands around it.” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, pg. 384). According to Leming and Dickinson, Hindus believe that cremation is “an act of sacrifice” because they are offering their body to God. The body is usually cremated on the bank of a sacred river. The book, Understanding dying, death, and bereavement offers an “invocation” that would be close to what a priest would recite, “Fire, you were lighted by him, so may he be lighted from you, that he may gain the regions of celestial bliss. May this offering prove auspicious.” Leming and Dickinson (2011) state that between 10-31 days post cremation, a feast (shraddha) is shared among mourners and priests. Shraddhas can last hours to days, depending on the wealth of the family. Once this shraddha is over, the mourning period comes to a close. It is said that the funeral is the second most important ritual, following a wedding, and that many families spend all the money they have on them, leading to impoverishment (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p.
“Nursing encompasses an art, a humanistic orientation, a feeling for the value of the individual, and an intuitive sense of ethics, and of the appropriateness of action taken’, said Myrtle Aydelott (Hammarskjold, 2000). Nurses have our patients trust with their lives every day. These patients have needs that must be understood and met, whether; physical, psychological, or emotional. Nurses must provide nonjudgmental care to those in need, regardless of culture, religion, lifestyle choices, financial status, or hues of the human race. To quote Jean Watson, nursing theorist, “I am here to care for others, regardless of where they came from” (Hammarskjold, 2000). I believe that the nursing profession chose me because I have always had a calling to help those in need. Nursing