Judaism

I expected to learn a few aspects about the culture of Judaism. I wanted to know what kind of practices they perform, how they perceive medical care, and other aspects that differ them from other religions.

I learned that Judaism may be considered both a religion and a nation. Up until the 19th century, most of the Jewish culture lived in the same region, shared the Hebrew language, and were self-governed. Now they are spread throughout the world, take on many different cultural practices based on the surrounding cultures, and follow separate governments. They still hold true the basic beliefs of the Torah, and speak in Hebrew with each other, but cultures may look very different for each region.

I will use this information in my career to understand the perception of healthcare. I believe that in this area they may consider healthcare highly, and be more likely to seek healthcare based on the culture surrounding. I will also use this information to respect cultural beliefs, preferences and laws in food preparation, and strive to meet the needs of each individual I care for.

As for personal feelings toward this religion, I don't have any particularly positive or negative feelings toward it. I don't know many people personally who practice the religion, but I do know the history, and suffering this population has endured. I have empathy for that, and I do not pass judgment for individual's religious choices.

Muslim Culture

I expected to learn about the Muslim culture, what separates their beliefs from other religious cultures, and some of the medicinal practices they believe in and perform. It's always nice to know the preferences of certain cultures.

I learned that the Muslim culture has many beliefs that are different from the culture I am surrounded by. I learned that family hierarchy and caring for one's parents is held in incredibly high regard. I also learned that female genital mutilation is still a fairly common practice, and is believed to bring complete fidelity of a woman to her husband. The women in the culture wear specific clothing to hide their beauty from the world, and save it only for their husbands. I learned that Muslim's tend to believe similar ideas regarding their health and accept healthcare when they have needs. This changes in reference to mental health, which is not considered a true illness, but rather a form of sin that needs religious correction.

I will take these aspects and implement them into my nursing career. Understanding a Muslim woman's religious duty, and preference to cover herself, could make a huge difference in care that I give. Understanding the need to care for one's parents and live to serve them would help me to understand children's role in their parent's care, or decision making.

This culture is interesting to read about. I have not come in contact with members of this culture, but there is great potential, so understanding some of the important aspects of their culture is important. I don't agree with female genital mutilation, and do not understand the concept behind it. I also don't understand the relationship with the parents, and why caring for them is held in such high regard. My lack of understanding, however, does not mean that I cannot be empathetic, or take time to understand those I care for, and their specific preferences.

Catholicism

Catholicism is a subject I've never fully understood. In the past I've chalked it up to being just like other Christian religions. I expected to learn about some of the aspects that make it different than other Christian religions, what makes their culture unique, and how I can integrate my knowledge into my nursing career.

I learned that the Catholic culture shares a lot of the same values and ideas as other Christian faiths, and the local culture here. Family is important to Catholics. A strong solid faith in God is the center of their faith. Catholics are taught to utilize their unique skills on local levels, serving family, neighborhoods, parishes, and small towns or cities. This is believed to be the best way to know the people they serve, and enhance their talents. This culture focuses on a constant yearning for knowledge and understanding, while maintaining a constant contact with God, and preparing for life after death where they will dwell in the Heavens, Hell, or purgatory.

Understanding the ideas of this religious culture is important for my career. I have already encountered several individuals who have different faiths, and ones that I do not understand or know much about. I try to allow these individuals to practice their faith while under my care, and utilize any religious leaders the hospital may have access to. I have patients that choose to participate in prayer, rituals, and call on their loved ones to provide them the spiritual support they desire while in the hospital. This is important to the holistic aspect of each individual and allows for spiritual healing as well as physical healing.

I do not have any particularly negative feelings toward the Catholic faith culture. I respect their beliefs, and try my best to provide an environment for my patients to practice their faith. I do not know many who practice this faith, so I am not terribly familiar with it. I don’t necessarily agree with all of the ideologies and aspects of faith that Catholicism offers, but I do believe that everyone deserves the right to believe in what they like and practice their faith appropriately. 

Homeless Culture

The homeless culture is interesting to learn about. I was expecting to learn about the variety of cultures of the homeless population, what separates them from other populations, and reasons behind their life circumstances.

I learned that a large number of youth homeless are runaway adolescents. Most of them identify situations of abuse as reasons they've left home. More than half of the homeless youth suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, and continue to suffer traumatic events. A large percentage of these youth also participate in risky behavior such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, theft, and violence to obtain their means. 

This is important to understand and be able to recognize teens and adults who come to the hospital with nowhere to go, or someone to take care of them. It's a policy to not discharge patients when they have nowhere to go, and we try to find resources to help them obtain stability. Understanding reasons why individuals are homeless, and some of the unique set of issues they deal with will help me decide what kind of care I give. These individuals are more likely to not trust me, have more fear of what is going on, and need the aid of social services to find the resources they need. 

I have empathy for those who are homeless. I can't say that I know what that is like, but through reading some articles, I understand better some of the reasons these individuals are in the place that they are. I have often times looked at some of these people as being lazy, not upholding societal expectations in order to have the security they need, but from my research it seems more often, especially with youth, they have very limited options, or have grown up this way and don't know any better.