It is hard to disagree that there are numerous factors that can either negatively or positively affect the mental or physical health of an aggregate group within the community. Therefore, a patient’s culture and cultural characteristics have to play a significant role for a nurse when studying complaints and symptoms of the client, making a diagnosis and creating and implementing treatment plans (Gurung, 2019). Otherwise, it is possible that the healthcare professional misses important information because the culture of a particular patient influenced their manifestation or communication of symptoms, but the nurse was unable to address this fact.
As mentioned by the author of the discussion post, for Native Americans, their families, interactions with the spirit world, and the forces of nature play a crucial role in their perception of health and recovery. Therefore, when creating a plan for treatment, a nurse should consider these cultural beliefs in order not to provoke dissatisfaction, discomfort, or deterioration of the patient’s health (Gurung, 2019). This is especially crucial when treating older Native Americans, as they are more customary and have a stronger faith in the spirits and forces of nature.
Another example of the necessity to pay particular attention to cultural characteristics is described by Ariyo et al. (2017). The researchers explore the socio-cultural correlates of maternal mortality in Nigeria and conclude that they have a direct effect on the issue (Ariyo et al., 2017). The culture of Nigeria makes women have fewer rights and depend on men, and various inequitable conditions reduce females’ health and increase the level of maternal mortality (Ariyo et al., 2017). Therefore, to solve the problem, it is required to consider Nigerian culture and address barriers to health-seeking behavior influenced by their attitudes and beliefs.
References
Ariyo, O., Ozodiegwu, I. D., Doctor, H. V. (2017). The influence of the social and cultural environment on maternal mortality in Nigeria: Evidence from the 2013 demographic and health survey. PLOS ONE 12(12). Web.
Gurung, R. A. R. (2019). Cultural influences on health. In K.D. Keith (Ed.), Cross-cultural psychology: Contemporary themes and perspectives. Wiley.