CULTURE, RELIGION, AND PREGNANCY
There are cultural considerations that impact pregnant clients, from religious and family dynamics to
guidelines around
... [Show More] personal space and privacy. While it is not feasible for nurses to be fully immersed
in every culture represented by their clients, it is a nurse’s duty to have a basic understanding of
client needs and communicate with them effectively and in a way that makes them feel comfortable.
A Cuban couple is excited about the upcoming birth of their first child. The couple states that
since arriving in the United States, they have adopted the cultural norms of their new society
so they will "fit in" better. What is this process called?
Acculturation is the process by which people adapt to a new cultural norm.
Cultural competency is the process of acquiring skills and knowledge necessary to respect and work
with individuals from different cultures. Ethnocentrism is the conviction that one's own values and
beliefs are the only acceptable ones. Enculturation occurs when cultural norms and beliefs are based
from one generation to the next.
Culture is the sum of beliefs and values that are learned, shared, and transmitted from generation to
generation in a specific group of people. Dominant western cultural/modern medicine values may
influence the thinking and actions of nurses in the United States but may not be shared by culturally
diverse childbearing women and their families.
Cultural values are personal preferences that remain relatively stable over time and are demonstrated
by a client who must always be clean so they wash multiple times a day.
Ethnocentrism is the attitude that one’s own values and beliefs are superior to others. A nurse who
ignores a client's request for warm water (based on her cultural traditions) thinking that cold water is
more refreshing after a delivery is displaying ethnocentrism.
Ethinicity is the state of belonging to a social group who share common cultural traditions. A group of
people with similar language and interests demonstrates ethnicity.
Cultural negotiation is efforts to join Western and non-Western beliefs in a way that
accommodates patient preferences and still achieves healthy outcomes. In some cultures, clients
need to maintain strict privacy and have a provider of the same sex. The nurse may need to locate an
alternate provider if the doctor on call is not a female.
Cultural humility is self-reflection of one's own beliefs and cultural identity, so that when learning
about other cultures, bias can be avoided.
Match the description with the type of family.
Extended family includes the nuclear family and other people related by blood such as grandparents,
aunts, uncles, and cousins. Joe and Samantha, a married couple, living with Joe's mother and
Samantha's cousin, are an example of an extended family.
Single-parent family is when an unmarried biological or adoptive parent heads the household without
the assistance of a partner. Julie raising her three children without a partner is an example of a
single-parent family.
Blended family forms as a result of divorce and remarriage. It includes stepparents, stepchildren, and
stepsiblings who join to create a new household. Tim and Ann, a married couple who live with Ann's
three children from a previous marriage, are an example of a blended family [Show Less]