Preview

Heritage Assessment In Health Care

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1460 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Heritage Assessment In Health Care
Heritage Assessment
Heritage assessment is quite crucial as it is used as a tool to acquire information about a community’s cultural background, traditions, spiritual life, lang8uage, health status and social life. Heritage assessment is employed in the healthcare sector for various functions like assessment of a people’s culture, providing awareness with regards to health restoration, protection and maintenance. Heritage assessment is also employed by the nursing fraternity in provision of medical care that is culturally competent. This paper studies different cultural backgrounds with regards to health matters particularly on practices and traditions. The cultures that will be evaluated in the paper include the Nigerian culture, the Indian …show more content…
where the Indian people used the forest environment for their medical and health care needs. Skilled physicians were renowned during the colonial and pre-colonial periods for their expertise in indigenous medicinal practices and therapies. The traditional belief present in majority of the Indian people is the Ayurvedic Medicine, which is a traditional Indian medicine system that the people belief prevents and cures different diseases (Ananth, 1984). In the Indian culture, the people practice the Ayurvedic Medicine as a form of health protection against various tropical diseases and ailments as it employs a balance of the body’s physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Ayurveda consisting of ‘Ayu’ and ‘veda’ carrying the meaning of ‘life’ and ‘knowledge of’ respectively, represents a healing system. It employs the soul, senses, body and mind as a complete being and that each person consist of kapha, vata and pitta which all make up the three doshas. Doshas are a representation of specific bodily activities and the ratio varies in every person. Whenever, a particular dosha accumulates, Ayurveda suggests particular guidelines of nutrition and lifestyle in order to help the person in reducing the excessive dosha and may even recommend particular herbal supplements that quicken the process of healing (Singh & Lahiri, …show more content…
Practitioners of TCM use a holistic standpoint to approach the healthcare sector by trying to figure out the underlying disharmonies and imbalances of a particular disease (Chan, Tan & Xin, 2010). Traditional healers use traditional methods of healing such as herbal medicines and body and mind practices like tai chi, acupuncture and massages to heal the patient rather than the disease alone. The Chinese believe that everything consists of two parts that are interdependent and opposite and the body’s health is balanced by the Yin and Yang. Yin symbolized by earth or water represents the feminine, dark or the night while yang symbolized by air or fire represents the bright, masculine, light or the day. The Chinese believe that the body has both qualities of yin and yang in it, with organs such as the stomach considered to be yang while the heart to be yin. In order to restore. Protect and maintain health, the Chinese employ a holistic approach of traditional medicines revolving around nutrition and diet, spirituality and exercise and combines a set of practices that assist the body to heal such as herbal medicine, acupressure, Qigong, Tai Chi and acupuncture (Xue & O'Brien,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Nurse 429V: Heritage Assessment
    • 2212 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Nurse 429V: Heritage Assessment

    The delivery of health care is specific to the needs of each patient as an individual. In achieving this health care professionals must take into consideration the patients cultural and traditional values. Thru the years many people have mixed within cultures; however, most have retained their deep rooted cultural customs, values, and beliefs. In order to deliver quality care to patients and achieve positive clinical outcomes health care professionals must be culturally competent in diverse populations. To become culturally competent health care professionals use an assessment tool known as the “Heritage Assessment Tool”. This tool asks a set of questions that is used to investigate a patient’s cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. By using…

    • 2212 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Case Analysis Paper Mexican Culture
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Case Analysis Paper Mexican Culture

    Culture is defined as the behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, and other types of human works. Cultural heritage is a key factor in the social, economic, and health promotion of people. Different cultures have different beliefs and values. They have different perceptions on health and illness. By assessing a patient’s cultural heritage, healthcare providers can provide more meaningful care to their patients. By using the heritage assessment tool, healthcare providers can evaluate a patient’s heritage and become more in touch with their physical, mental, and spiritual beliefs. Healthcare providers need to understand their own cultural practices in order to relate to their patients. A person’s cultural background, religion, and /or beliefs, greatly…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Benchmark Assessment Heritage Assessment
    • 1191 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Benchmark Assessment Heritage Assessment

    Today in society there are many diverse culture and ethnic backgrounds, each with their own habits, traditions, preferences, and of these includes health. Different needs of the whole person should be evaluated in detail. This paper will discuss results from three different cultures through the interviewing of them using the Heritage Assessment Tool. It will also review, compare, and address health traditions between the cultures as well as identify common health traditions based on cultural heritage. The purpose is to evaluate and discuss how families subscribe to these traditions/practices, address health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration according to the assessment.…

    • 1191 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Benchmark Assignment: Heritage Assessment
    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Benchmark Assignment: Heritage Assessment

    Heritage assessment is defined as a comprehensive evaluation of a person’s culture, where the person comes from, beliefs, family and ethnic back grounds, values and customs. Is also the process for identifying, predicting, evaluating and communicating the probable effects of a current or proposed care or for that person’s cultural life or community. Integrating the findings and conclusions into the planning and decision making process, with a view to mitigating adverse effects and enhancing positive outcomes. (International network for cultural diversity, 2004)…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    NRS-429: The Heritage Assessment
    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages

    NRS-429: The Heritage Assessment

    The Heritage Assessment is not beneficial in treating an individual as a whole. If one utilized this specific tool, it would be very difficult to implement a plan of care that caters to the individual’s cultural needs during a patients hospital stay. Furthermore it is a healthcare member’s responsibility to attempt to make a person of cultural difference feel as comfortable as possible to build a bond of trust with the patient and the family members. Some of the questions asked on the Heritage Assessment tool may stop this from occurring, placing a brick wall between communication and the need of patient education. Yes, the need for a cultural assessment must be…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heritage Assessment Research Paper
    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Heritage Assessment Research Paper

    Being present in one of the world’s largest medical centers allows for a nurse to experience multiple cultures in the care of patients and communities. The heritage assessment tool can be utilized by nurses to understand differences among cultural values as they relate to health maintenance, health promotion and health restoration. Collecting data in regards to a patient’s culture is an essential part of a cultural nursing assessment (American Nurses Association website, n.d.). The relevance of a cultural assessment can’t be neglected. This paper will speak to the…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Heritage Assessment Case Study
    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Heritage Assessment Case Study

    Applying a heritage assessment in evaluating the needs of the whole person is useful in many ways. They may assist nurses and healthcare professionals in understanding the social positioning of the diverse cultural groups for whom they deliver care. This will allow for care based on an individual’s cultural values, beliefs, and practices, and to use this knowledge to give culturally specific nursing care to each patient. Let’s take a look at and compare health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration of three families from different cultures.…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Heritage Assessment
    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Heritage Assessment

    Before asking the questions from Heritage Assessment tool, meaning of Cultural Heritage must be known. Cultural Assessment is legacy of intangible attributes and cultural property of a society or a group that are descended from the past generations, maintained in the current generation and carried forward for the betterment of the future generations. Tangible culture such as landscapes, buildings, books, art and artifacts, intangible culture such as traditions, folklore, knowledge, language and natural heritage such as biodiversity, culturally significant landscapes are all included in the cultural heritage. Every individual’s perception regarding the disease process, health and end of life is based upon their cultural heritage. Culture not only influences the patient but also the medical professionals, who are rendering care to these patients. Heritage includes determination of individual’s religious, ethnic and cultural background (Spector 2009). Cultural heritage is also used the individuals to protect, maintain and restore health and these concepts involves the individuals spiritual, mental and physical beliefs. In this paper advantage of applying heritage assessment tool will be discussed. Heritage assessment tools include twenty nine questions, which involves questions regarding religion, family, traditions, food choices and demographics. Traditional heritage relies on positive answers for individual’s identification. This assessment tools unique because questions are the same but answers differ from person to person, even the siblings tend to have different answers. The heritage assessment helped the individual interviewing theses families, understand their beliefs, values and their perception of health care. This tool also helps us understand the cultural uniqueness and how beliefs and values are passed from one generation to the other. Heritage assessment helps to identify the…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Heritage Assessment Research Paper
    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Heritage Assessment Research Paper

    As nurses we come in contact with a wide variety of individuals, they all come from different backgrounds whether it is related to education, social class, ethnicity, or religion. Each individual has their own culture beliefs and it is our duty as nurses to recognize and investigate what those beliefs are to have a better understanding of them and to help guide us in providing the best possible care we can for each patient we encounter. The Heritage Assessment Tool is a great way to bridge the cultural gap between nurse and patient; by gaining cultural competence there can be a greater understanding of patient’s needs thus promoting patient centered care.…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heritage Assessment
    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Heritage Assessment

    The Heritage Assessment device is considered to “give nurses an understanding of the patient’s traditional health and illness beliefs and practices so that culturally appropriate interventions can be initiated. The tool is a series of twenty nine questions. These twenty nine questions are designed to determine a patient’s ethnic, cultural, and religious background,” “Hispanic culture combines religion with a strong belief in spirituality and the supernatural. Saints represent many specialized needs and there are specific ones for cancer, dying, and bodily ills. These spiritual and religious influences play an important role in their health, illness, and daily life,” (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). The United States is home for diverse culture. Culture is defined as “the learned, shared, and transmitted values, beliefs, norms, and lifeway practices of a particular group that guide thinking, decisions, and actions in patterned ways” “Cultural competence refers to the ability of nurses to understand and accept the cultural backgrounds of individuals and provide care that best meets the persons’ needs—not the nurses’ needs” In some strict Islamic societies where girls and women are segregated and allowed to appear in public only if totally covered from head to toe, deprivation of sunlight can impair the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D, causing a deficiency of this vitamin and putting the women at risk for rickets or osteomalacia” (Trollope-kumar & Last). “Knowledge and respect for various cultural world views, customs, values, and traditions are needed to negotiate different approaches in developing a health-promotion plan with families” (Edelman & Mandle, 2010, p.…

    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    heritage assessment
    • 1311 Words
    • 6 Pages

    heritage assessment

    In 21st century healthcare is not only curing but also preventive. So cotemporary nursing promote health of the society, by proper heritage assessment. Heritage assessment tool is a window that opens him as a whole person itself. This assessment gives a concept to deal with a person’s personal, mental and spiritual health. Heritage assessment is a significant tool helpful to understand and evaluate a person and the society. When assess a person’s Heritage it reflects a tradition of how they maintain and promote health , how they restore health when it get affected with illness. This essay describes heritage assessment of three different cultural families. Greek culture and Italian culture and their health tradition, look at the differences as well as compare those with that of the Author , American Indian (Hindu) heritage.…

    • 1311 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Igbo Healing Practices
    • 1778 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Igbo Healing Practices

    Various healing practices also offer insight on cultures and provide a reason to a person's ideals. A stance…

    • 1778 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heritage Assessment
    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Heritage Assessment

    People have diverse beliefs about health, illness, disease, birth and death, which are directed by culture. Heritage assessment is an important step towards building understanding of cultural competency, a phenomenon that recognizes diversity, both in linguistic and cultural adeptness by the health care provider. A person’s culture, beliefs, heritage, and language have a substantial impact both as a patient and a health care provider within the health care system (Spector, 2009). Although only 29 questions were supplied in the heritage assessment tool, the questions cleared a pathway for opening up dialogue about ones beliefs regarding health, illness, spirituality, and family support, which linked personal values to them. In this paper diversity was identified as a key component between the three ethnic groups compared, which were American with subgroups of Irish/German, Hispanic, and Filipino…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Heritage Assessment
    • 1512 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Heritage Assessment

    Culture profoundly influences people’s health due to how it affects people’s view on disease, how they seek health care and how they communicate with health care providers. Working in an American, multicultural society, nurses must possess cultural competency in order to provide patient-centered care to meet patient’s needs and expectations. To assess a patient’s cultural heritage is a significant approach to understanding a patient’s cultural background. good…

    • 1512 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Traditional Healing
    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Traditional Healing

    These options include acupuncture, the ancient Chinese technique of inserting fine needles in specific point of the body in order to ease pain and stimulate bodily immunity. Another group is homeopathy where a material, which causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people, cures similar conditions in sick people. Next is naturopathy, this system of medicine deals with the healing power of nature. These doctors find the etiology of a disease based on the understanding of a person’s body, mind, and spirit. A few other groups of options are practices such as dietary supplements, aromatherapy, shiatsu, and…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics