ESSAY: Cultural Considerations in Nursing

Many factors influence maternal health. In many countries, an unacceptable number of women die in childbirth or shortly after giving birth. As discussed by Dr. Leslie Mancuso in this week’s first media presentation, culture and religious beliefs influence childbirth practices.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Case 6, “Saving Mothers’ Lives in Sri Lanka.”
Review Dr. Mancuso’s comments on cultural beliefs that influence maternal health.
In addition, consider the following questions:

What cultural and historical features of Sri Lanka contributed to the success of the country’s maternal health program?
What are some assumptions that a person might make about you based on your appearance or cultural background? All cultural diversity is not about ethnicity, religious affiliation, or traditional backgrounds. When you consider what cultural issues affect you and/or your community, think about whether you represent diversity of another kind, such as; rural versus urban, east coast versus west coast, employed in a small hospital versus a large research center, or providing nursing practice to young versus elderly, acute care versus clinic care or mental health care. Each of these “types” of diversity contribute to you as a person and how you practice nursing.
How might that affect the nursing care you receive?
What cultural information would you want a nurse or doctor to know about you?
What would you want a health promotion program to include that addresses a health concern for your cultural or ethnic community?

ANSWER

What cultural and historical features of Sri Lanka contributed to the success of the country’s maternal health program?

Sri Lanka stands out as one of the countries in southern Asia with generally good healthcare systems. The maternal health program is particularly excellent and this is influenced by the country’s historic and cultural features. Sri Lanka has invested immensely in the civil registration system which makes it very easy and possible to handle the health data. The government of the country also has a history of investment in health and has always sought to expand the health systems in all aspects. Also, the government has established an initiative of educating patients on various key health issues. When it comes to maternal health, apart from the education, there is also very convenient referral systems that guarantee the patients maximum attention.

What are some assumptions that a person might make about you based on your appearance or cultural background

Cultural background can greatly influence one’s behavior (Grabowski et al., 2014). Your personal behavior may, therefore, form the basis on which others will judge you. Cultural beliefs will determine what people like or dislike. One obvious assumption that a person would make about me based on my cultural background is that I do not consume a certain type of foods. One may also assume that I subscribe to specific religious doctrines simply based on where I come from. Additionally, one may automatically assume I came from an urban area based on my appearance.