Cultural expressions affecting patient care.

Abstract

No course or book will be of value in nursing patients from other cultures unless the nurse uses the knowledge about these cultures provided therein along with his or her own skills of observation, to assess the cultural factors involved in the health care of each individual. Madeline M. Leininger has said that in making a cultural assessment, "We talk to the members of the family as well as the patient about their health values, beliefs, and practices. Some of the many things we explore are how they keep well, who helps them when they're sick, and what folk remedies they use". Leininger further notes (1980) that "like a flowing river, culture is the underlying force that guides people's preferences and their thinking and action patterns." Many cultures have large networks of people who help out in times of illness and stress. Dr. Leininger says, "They are expected to be caring persons; it's a culturally defined role". To understand the process of how the cultural milieu affects responses to an illness like cancer, the patient must be viewed as a member of a family. This family, in turn, is influenced by its membership in an ethnic or minority group, which defines for the family members the culturally prescribed beliefs and behaviors that are acceptable. These beliefs and behaviors form the foundation upon which these individuals view illness, as well as outline how they respond to the diagnosis and the disease itself. As nurses, we must be interested in learning about and understanding the influence that culture has on our patient care. It is hoped that the information in this article will increase your knowledge base and give you greater insight into your patients because the "need to know" will continue to grow as health care clients increasingly demand and expect both respect and the effective application of their cultural beliefs and values to their health care.