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. 

Jehovah's Witness

Before researching this culture, I expected to learn about the religious beliefs they have, any cultural traditions, and other aspects I didn't previously know about.

I focused a little bit on the issue of blood transfusions. This is an issue I knew about, but have always wondered if there's something more we could do for these people. I researched and found information regarding a fairly newer treatment for Jehovah's Witness patients to receive a recombinant clotting factor to reduce bleeding. I've never heard of this treatment before, so I was interested to read about it. It opens some more doors into treatments, and allows these patients to receive treatment without compromising their belief. I also learned that in matters of urgency, it is not entirely frowned upon for a Jehovah's Witness patient to receive blood products. I don't know exactly where the line is drawn there, or if it is likely to cause personal religious turmoil, but it's interesting, and allows doctors and nurses to implement life saving procedures in times of emergency.

I will use this information to encourage the use of different treatments in Jehovah's Witness patients. I don't often have patients that refuse certain treatments, but in the case of receiving blood products, I would like to have the option to offer something else in place. Having the option to administer recombinant clotting factors may not resolve the specific issue at hand, but it's an option. This research may open the door to more research, and more options in the future.

I don't understand all of the aspects of the Jehovah's Witness culture, but I can respect their beliefs, and try my best to be sensitive to them. I don't have any particularly negative or positive feelings toward the culture itself. I also, haven't encountered many Jehovah's Witnesses in my life to draw any conclusions about them either.

LDS Culture

The culture of the LDS church is very interesting to me. There are a lot of aspects of it I do not understand. There are rules that do not make sense to me personally, and seem a bit unfair. I was hoping to learn about some of the rituals they perform, why they do them, and what I need to understand to give excellent nursing care.

I learned that there are specific rituals performed on Sundays, and others performed daily. I know about the church attendance on Sundays, but I didn't know it was more involved than that. I learned that those who perform these rituals on a daily basis with their families reported being happier, feeling closer to their God, and feel they have more focus and direction in their lives.

Just as it is important to understand other nationalities, the religious practices of the world have their own culture, and deserve respect as well. I will use this information to be more competent in my nursing care, allow time for patients to perform their desired rituals, and aid in gathering any necessary supplies or individuals for such rituals.

I do not have any particularly positive or negative feelings toward this religion in general. I feel the culture in this area is more on the side of judgement and criticism toward non-members, or those who do not follow the same beliefs. Most of the people I associate with are part of this religion, and it doesn't bother me. The friends I have that are part of this religion understand my stance on it, my acceptance of their belief systems, and my indifference in being a part of it.

Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is a tricky subject to completely comprehend. It has so many aspects, so many interpretations, and can evoke positive and negative feelings. These feelings are all based on personal experience. I had hoped to learn more of a definition of what cultural diversity actually is, what aspects I need to be aware of, and why. It's not always easy to understand which aspects of other cultures we should know and/or be sensitive to.

I learned that I'm not the only one who doesn't understand some cultures, and how to be sensitive to them. It is apparent that others especially current student and newly graduated nurses have difficulty understanding and meeting the cultural needs of their patients. Some of the most common issues are that of language barriers, food choices, and gender issues (generally referring to requesting the care of a certain gender over another).

Having at least a basic understanding of the cultures I will likely encounter is important. I will make a conscious effort to learn about at least three different cultures around me, and understand some of their practices. This way I will be able to provide a higher level of culturally competent care to my patients.

I believe that cultural diversity is everywhere, and there is virtually no way to be completely ignorant of it. We are surrounded by people from all over the world, who all think and act a little different. It is nearly impossible to know every culture, their beliefs, and practices, but it is not impossible to be sensitive to and respect other cultures.