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Culturally Competent Nursing Care
Module 1 Discussion
Caring for African American, Mexican, & Navajo Populations
After studying Module 1: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
- Describe the importance of folk medicine practices and folk healers to African Americans in the rural setting.
- Mrs. M., a Mexican American who just gave birth, tells the nurse not to include certain foods on her meal tray because her mother told her to avoid those foods while breastfeeding. The nurse tells her that she doesn’t have to avoid any foods and should eat whatever she desires. What concept does this demonstrate?
- Describe at least two communication barriers encountered by non-Navajo nurses when providing care to Navajo clients.
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
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Culturally Competent Nursing Care
Caring for African American, Mexican, & Navajo Populations
Understanding cultural beliefs, values, and communication styles is essential for delivering effective, respectful care in a multicultural society. Folk medicine, cultural dietary restrictions, and nonverbal communication all shape how individuals from diverse backgrounds experience and respond to healthcare interventions. This discussion addresses folk medicine among rural African Americans, cultural dietary beliefs in Mexican American postpartum care, and communication barriers in nursing Navajo clients.
Importance of Folk Medicine Practices and Folk Healers to African Americans in Rural Settings
For many rural African American communities, folk medicine and traditional healers play a significant role in addressing health needs. This reliance is rooted in a long history of systemic healthcare exclusion and mistrust due to racism and medical exploitation, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (Gamble, 1997). As a result, many individuals in these communities continue to place trust in culturally familiar healing systems.
Folk medicine in African American culture often involves the use of herbal remedies, prayer, laying on of hands, and spiritual rituals passed down through generations. In rural areas, where access to formal healthcare may be limited due to geographic and socioeconomic barriers, folk healers—also known as “root doctors” or spiritual advisors—serve as critical health resources. These healers offer holistic care that encompasses not only physical ailments but also spiritual and emotional concerns (Andrews & Boyle, 2019). Respecting and integrating these practices into formal care models when appropriate can enhance trust and treatment adherence, especially in underserved populations.
Cultural Conflict in Dietary Beliefs: The Case of Mrs. M.
When Mrs. M., a Mexican American new mother, tells the nurse she cannot eat certain foods while breastfeeding based on her mother’s advice, and the nurse dismisses this concern, the concept demonstrated is cultural imposition. Cultural imposition occurs when healthcare providers impose their own cultural values on a patient, disregarding or minimizing the patient’s cultural beliefs (Purnell & Paulanka, 2018).
In Mexican culture, la cuarentena is a postpartum tradition where mothers observe dietary and behavioral practices believed to protect their health and their newborn’s well-being. Common beliefs include avoiding cold foods or certain spices that are thought to…