The First Heritage Assessment: West African Senegal Culture
The first heritage assessment is of West African Senegal culture, of which I am a descendant. The cultural background of an individual is very important in defining the level of health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration in West African Senegal culture. This is due to the fact that cultural background defines one's way of life, from cultural foods to artistic living style. Religion also has an important role in defining the amount of health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration through religious beliefs and doctrines. A unique person is responsible for health maintenance in this culture's traditions. Health maintenance specialists are trained just like the ordinary nurse or doctor who goes through schooling; though the training is not conducted in a regular class room, it is done locally.
Health Protection and Restoration in West African Senegal Culture
Health protection is done through strictly observing what one is feeding on, the living style and even taking the medications when one is sick. Health restoration, on the other hand, is also achieved through the taking of necessary medicine when a person is feeling sick. In this tradition, a nuclear family consists on parents and children. The father is the head of the family and plays the role of protecting the family members from diseases through paying for medication or even looking for necessary medication.
The Second Culture: Italy in Europe
The second culture is from Italy in Europe. Members of this group are highly religious and belong to the Catholic religion. Therefore in this culture, religion plays a very significant role in determining the level of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration. This issue is owing to the fact that religion has defined the living style of people in that society. Religion has also played a prominent role in determining the level of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration through teachings of the Catholic beliefs.
Health Protection and Restoration in Italian Culture
In the Italian society, health protection is also done through observing on what one is feeding on, the living style and even taking of medications when one is sick. Health restoration is also achieved through taking of necessary medicine when a person is feeling sick. Medical practitioners are trained through the formal education system just like in the western world, and they offer their services depending on their level of expertise. Monogamy is practiced and the husband and wife work hand in hand to protect children from any form of sickness.
The Third Culture: Asian Japanese origin
The third culture that has been determined is the culture of Asian Japanese origin. Members of this category are very cultured, and they strictly adhere to their culture. Their religious beliefs define their way of living. Their eating habits are established by the traditions carried in Japan. Therefore their cultural beliefs play a prominent role in determining the level of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration. On the other hand, religion has also played a significant role in determining the level of health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration through the religious beliefs.
Health Protection and Restoration in Japanese Culture
In Japan, health protection is also done through observing on what one is feeding on, the living style and even taking of medications when one is sick just like the other two cultures. Health restoration is also achieved through the taking of necessary medicine when a person is feeling sick. Medical practitioners are also trained through the formal education system just like in the western world, and they offer their services depending on their level of expertise. Family plays a vital role in maintaining the health of an individual.
Similarities in the Three Cultures
Firstly, in these three cultures religious beliefs define their way of living. Secondly, Religion has also played a significant role in determining the level of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration. Thirdly, health protection is also done through observing on what one is feeding on, the living style and even taking of medications when one is sick. The fourth point is that medical practitioners are trained before they start offering services. The final similarity is that in the three cultures, family's ties play a huge role in maintaining the fitness of each family member.
Usefulness of Applying Heritage Assessment
Heritage assessment has a lot of advantages including the provision of positive outcomes with some desired satisfaction levels of patients from different backgrounds. Therefore, the use of culture assessment contributes to adequate care for patients of various origins. This criterion of heritage assessment enables patients to receive treatment in a given way depending on how their assessment has explained about the cultural history. On the other hand, the assessment is able to achieve the linguistic that is linked to some cultural values (Lindelius, Björkenstam, Dahlgren, Ljung & Stefansson, 2011). Through the evaluations, nurses are able to provide the best quality through looking and comparing various duties in a cross-cultural way. The assessment facilitates for nurses to patients interaction owing to the fact that in the case of the language barrier, hospitals will look for an interpreter to make the communication between patients and nurses being achieved.
Through the assessment, cultural sensitivity is created among medical practitioners, resulting to nurses accepting different cultures in their unique ways. Therefore, heritage assessment helps nurses in delegating their duties on care providing. Nurses are able to develop a mindset for the culturally diversified population through the assistance of the culture evaluation methodology and tools. One of the most crucial factors is that nurses are able to provide the required health care services in a culturally appropriate manner through the use of the heritage assessment technique. Another good advantage of applying culture assessment tools is that it is capable of providing a full and detailed background of a given patient; this experience will help nurses to figure out the best possible way that they can offer services to these particular patients (Hawthorne, 2002). The last but not least point is that through the use of heritage assessments, nurses are able to understand the situations that patients are going through in details. Therefore, nurses are able to understand many factors including the social and cultural factors of each patient.
References
Hawthorne, L. (2002). Qualifications Recognition Reform for Skilled Migrants in Australia: Applying Competency-based Assessment to Overseas-qualified Nurses. International Migration, 40(6), 55-91. Available at:
Lindelius, B., Björkenstam, E., Dahlgren, C., Ljung, R., & Stefansson, C. (2011). Applying the Swedish Performance Assessment Framework in practise: assessment of efficiency and quality of psychiatric care. Psychiatrische Praxis, 38(S 01). Available at:
