IndexAbstractIntroductionSimilarities in GenogramHeritageCultureHealthGenogramDifferences in GenogramHeritageCultureHealthGenogramJournal ArticlePatient ExperienceCultural Competence in NursingWorks CitedAbstractCultural competence includes the ability to view the world of others positively after understanding one's own. It includes the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that make up the individual. Through assessment, nurses have the ability to gather information about their patients that other professionals do not have the time to do. In this assignment, I was able to interview my classmate, AC, and gain significant knowledge about who she is as an individual and how she came to be who she is. The world is made up of a diverse population and this can cause problems when nurses need to communicate and educate their patients. Through this assignment, I was able to improve my interviewing skills, improve my understanding of AC, and remain non-judgmental in my assessment. Among the topics discussed: heritage, culture, health and the genogram of our families. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, I was raised by two devout, well-educated parents. My mother, Donna, was born and raised in Bluefield, West Virginia, while my father, Mark, lived in multiple places before residing in Norfolk, Virginia. I grew up among two siblings, a brother and a sister, and instilled the value of church and family life. We were taught that family means everything, so we must preserve it. I am currently 27 years old and identify as a single heterosexual Caucasian woman. I previously attended college at East Carolina University and earned my first degree in Health Services Management. After graduation I chose to work before thinking about going back to further my education. I moved to Roanoke in 2017 and began working in the health analytics department at Carilion Clinic as a health analytics consultant I. There I learned new skills and had the opportunity to present at conferences, as well as being a pioneer in creating of business intelligence dashboards. It is in this position that I grew in my respect for operational and data leaders in the medical field. In 2019 I reached a crossroads; I was promoted in my position to Level II but wanted more. I wanted to pursue my passion of being in the trenches, so to speak. I wanted to be the one to personally improve patient care. My decision was to switch to flexible hours and attend nursing school. On the first day of nursing school orientation I met my current classmate, AC. His story and background were similar to mine and we quickly became good friends. AC is a 27 year old single Caucasian heterosexual woman born and raised in Rocky Mount, Virginia. He has a twin brother and no other siblings. Like me, AC is aiming to get her second degree in Nursing. He attended Radford University in the past and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Marketing. She currently works in the Resource Pool at Carilion Clinic as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Similarities in Genogram Heritage The practices of our education, known as heritage, have been passed down over the years. Through it, we can see what traditions we will continue to maintain and teach our children. Born of English and Irish descent, AC and I have the tradition ofgo to church on Sunday and read the Bible. AC followed in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents to do devotionals in addition to attending church. My grandfather was a pastor and he liked to sing hymns with me. As for our family aspect, both AC and I have focused a lot on family. We both believed in attending family functions and staying close to each other. AC goes to family reunions every year while I attend family reunions that happen every couple of years. We both make a point of attending family functions, especially during the holidays. The family doesn't just include the two-legged ones. Having animals around was another similarity AC and I had when discussing our heritage. AC and her family had a couple of dogs growing up and now have a Yorkie-Pom, named Lily. My family had dogs and a cat growing up. We enjoyed the moments we spent with them, but after they were all gone, my parents decided it wasn't the right time to get another animal. I currently have a feline companion, an American Shorthair, named Piper, who I treat like one of my family members.CultureAn individual's culture includes everything that is thought, said, or done that constitutes the learned attitudes and beliefs passed down through generations in generation. As a child, my siblings and I were told that we need to speak up, make good decisions, and do what is right. Manners have always been the first thing we had to think about when interacting with others. AC's childhood had similar ideologies in that she was taught to take care of herself mentally, physically and spiritually and to always speak her mind. We were both told that hard work will get you places, and God is #1. We believed in God and that He will always provide what we need, and because of this belief we were both led to get baptized. The idea of baptism means that we are washing away our sins and admitting that the Lord is our savior. Both of our parents also instilled in us the idea that sun protection was essential if we want to take care of our pale skin. Our similar descendants, English and Irish, also bear a share of the blame for this. Health The disease affects many families and as a child, both AC and I were vaccinated and continue to do so every season, including the flu vaccine. Western medicine has come a long way and AC and I continue to reap the benefits it offers. We make sure to reach out to our primary care providers when we are struggling to stay well, if we have questions about our health, and to provide services. We both know and focus on healthy living. Eating meals with adequate health benefits is important, but we both struggle to stay on the healthy living bandwagon. Home remedies played an important role in AC's life to stay healthy. She was taught to make concoctions to ward off colds, as I did. My parents strongly encouraged the use of salt water gargles to help with sore throats, while AC's family used a mixture of moonshine and honey to "kick away the cold." We both have to be sensitive to certain foods. Because of diabetes, AC must be sensitive to the amount of sugar he can consume. I have to be careful about the amount of dairy I ingest due to lactose sensitivity. Genogram When I look at ACs and my genogram there is a strong resemblance to heart disease that runs in our families. We both have histories of high cholesterol and lung cancer. We also have a grandparent on each side of oursfamily who died. We both have a brother and our parents still alive. Based on information gathered from her grandfather, AC's grandmother suffered from an undiagnosed mental disorder. In my family, dementia is more prevalent in my paternal side. Both of our families also have someone who has had lung cancer. Differences in Genogram Inheritance Having a solid foundation of people I can count on is an essential component of my life. I rely on my family during difficult times, but since I am in a different state, I also have strong bonds with my friends since they are closer. Because he resides at home with his mother, AC still relies heavily on his family. She lives in an area where her entire family surrounds her. I left my parents after graduation and moved to another state, so my family members are scattered here and there. AC always aims to spend holidays with his family. Due to the fact that I lived out of state and had to take days off from work for the holidays, I missed some vacations with my family. Taking photographs is something my parents always did when we went on vacation, spent time with others, or had family gatherings. They taught us to remember to capture memories so we can pass them on. My parents love putting out book albums to show us our past relatives. As many older relatives have passed away, I really appreciate the photos. My family also has a deep love for cookbooks. We have very old cookbooks from my great grandparents and grandparents. There's this red cookbook called Carolina Cooking that we all have and love to use. On my mother's side we created our own cookbook with homemade recipes passed down. Culture My parents believed that eating as a family was important. So they taught us the importance of home-cooked meals. We didn't buy a lot of processed foods or eat what my mother called "unhealthy." In his mind, fast food and friends' food weren't good, so they were limited in our house. Today I still don't buy a lot of processed foods, but I do eat some fast food. I make many of my meals from scratch, like cookies. Cookies were that item my dad liked to say all his kids could make from scratch. AC's family wasn't as strict with the limited eating out policy. AC loves Chick-fil-A and makes sure to give her breakfast every morning before clinicals or labs. Her mother sometimes prepares her lunch for school and dinner after she goes out. Because of diabetes, AC also needs to be careful with her intake so she can give herself enough insulin. Another difference between me and AC is how much we drink. I like to drink a glass of wine or beer every now and then, but the frequency with which I drink is low, that is, every six months. AC is more open about drinking and drinks a glass of wine or beer more frequently, once a week or a month. Health As a child I have no serious illnesses, with the exception of pneumonia, sore throat and colds. Today they are treating me for a cold just for the occasion and checking me for glaucoma. In my maternal side of the family, many women suffer from glaucoma. My mother and I are checked every year to make sure this doesn't develop for us. In AC's childhood, there were no serious illnesses until she was diagnosed with type I diabetes in her young adulthood. AC had a strong focus on going to the doctor when he was unwell. While I believe this is important, I also use other methods to distress. Listening to music, getting a massage, reading a book, taking a bath, and taking a nap are other avenues I use to try to feel better. The frequency with which I go to the doctor isreduced; I deviated from my parents' push to always go to the doctor. Instead it takes me longer to decide when to go to the doctor. Healthy eating and exercise are two other things I focus on to ensure I stay fit and healthy. I try to train at least two days a week by running or lifting weights, while AC uses a spin class for exercise. One of my favorite drinks is coffee. AC does not drink coffee but prefers to consume caffeine through soft drinks. Genogram When comparing my Genogram to AC's, there are many more prevalent conditions his family faces. Her father has factor IX deficiency and gout and her mother has diabetes and hypothyroidism while my father suffers from high cholesterol and hernias and my mother had scoliosis as a child. Another interesting difference between me and AC is that both of his grandmothers died while both of my grandfathers died. The years spent by his grandmothers are close to mine. AC only has one brother, while I have two and am the middle child. AC's parents divorced and remarried, while my parents are still married. Journal Article When people enter the nursing field, they accept the duty to care for all of their patients, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and culture. They must be culturally diverse in order to care for the wants and needs of their patients. After giving birth, both she and her father have to face their new positionparents. In a 2016 article, a study was conducted on the difficulties Thai teenagers face when becoming parents. During the study, selected adolescents were asked a series of questions to gain more knowledge about how adolescents are preparing for parenthood and what kind of support they receive. Teens had to understand what was happening during pregnancy and then change their habits and lifestyle choices to prepare for the impending baby. They must receive support from their family or external resources. In this culture, adolescents also had to work towards the goal of mothers being the caregivers while the father was the breadwinner. Thailand has a high rate of adolescents giving birth in recent years as the rate of obstetric complications increases. Because of these complications there have been poor outcomes for newborns. In Thailand, a law was passed that allows abortion to be made legal if there has been rape, there are serious complications for the mother, or there is a deformity in the child (Sriyasak et al., 2016). When interacting with expecting parents, it would be helpful to offer resources, especially to young parents such as teenagers. Teen parents try to fill many roles when having a child: parent, child, student, and worker. In the study, there were similar underlying concerns that each group of couples had to adjust to. Some of these include, but are not limited to, division of household labor, concern about the cost of living, caring for children, promoting child health, and respecting traditional values. As a nurse, there are opportunities that could be educational moments. For example, prior to pregnancy, if adolescents are sexually active, emphasis might be placed on the use of contraceptives. During pregnancy, education could be about caring for the baby and changing his or her roles. Some of the couples in this study were born into Buddhist families. In this religion, they have to keep the baby because abortion is considered a sin. In my culture, I don't have the same beliefs about teen pregnancy. I do not have.2016.09.005
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