Coment (1). 150 words citation and references
Culture
19 years old female of the Hindu faith
Considerations
Health care providers should incorporate cultural competence in their services as a result of the increasing religious and cultural diversity. For both patients and health professionals to ensure quality health services, they need to consider cultural barriers. Evidence shows that there is a connection between poor cultural competence and low-quality health outcomes in health care practice. In this case, the client is a teenage girl who is admitted to the hospital with fevers (Gopalkrishnan, 2018).When dealing with teenagers, one should consider the legal requirements to maintain confidentiality, obtain consent, and language assistance services especially if the client is not a proficient English speaker. When interviewing her, the nurse should also consider her level of openness, special distance, taboo subjects, and eye contact.
Dealing with a female teenager of the Hindu faith requires one to have adequate knowledge of their beliefs and faith. According to the Hindu religion, all individuals are free to practice their religion the way they see fit. Besides, Hindus have a strong belief in karma, which is the law of cause and effect. They believe that each action, thought, and word makes up karma and affects their future and current lives. The nurse should consider this fact when interviewing the young girl as it may affect the decision-making process (Zavos, 2015). Also, Hindus believe that serious illnesses and other occurrences in their lives balance their lives and help them become better people. Hindus embrace the use of western medicine among many other options for treatments.
Resources
The United States provides health resources that help in effective communication among health care providers and Indian patients, which include the ward communication tool, language identification card, among others. Also, some Hindus may prefer fasting while in hospital, which may affect their wellness (Zavos, 2015). The nurse should ensure that the teenager is aware of the dangers of fasting when sick, while still considering the requirements of the Hindu religion.
References
Gopalkrishnan, N. (2018). Cultural Diversity and Mental Health: Considerations for Policy and Practice. Frontiers In Public Health, 6. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00179
Zavos, J. (2015). Digital media and networks of Hindu activism in the UK. Culture And Religion, 16(1), 17-34. doi: 10.1080/14755610.2015.1023814
