Life Stage and Cultural Influences

This week we are looking at health promotion as it is influenced by life stages, from infancy through the elderly, and the influence of culture on various aspects of health and health promotion.

Nurses care for patients in all stages of life, in promoting, maintaining, and restoring health, and helping with end-of-life care, which are all heavily influenced by culture. It is important in considering health promotion throughout the life span to examine the developmental issues, and societal supports or barriers for the success of health education programs at different stages of life and within various cultural groups. 

We also need to examine how cultural beliefs and practices can influence health promotion decisions and behaviors as they apply to our nursing care of patients, clients, and their families. Understanding how cultural groups may approach healthcare, disease, treatment, healing, and health promotion differently from the nurses providing their care is critical in becoming a culturally competent nursing professional. You will use your pre-selected cultural group and life stage choices to respond to this week’s questions:  

With these thoughts in mind, for this week,

1. Briefly describe a specific health issue (example: “hypertension” not “cardiac issues”) related to the age group you selected and discuss why this is relevant as a health promotion issue. Identify how the age affects and influences the specific health issue.
2. Provide two (2)specific examples of existing programs that target the health problem you identified within the selected age group? Discuss how these specific resources incorporate health promotion ideas appropriate for both the health issue and life stage you have selected.
3. Using the specific cultural population you selected, present at least three (3) specific influences of cultural beliefs and practices related to general health practices.
4. What is this group’s perception of health and illness related to treatments and health promotion options for a specific health issue (does not have to be the same one you used for #1). Discuss if this culture would be more likely to use Western medicine or cultural specific treatments for this condition and support your answer.  
5. Discuss changes in your nursing care and health promotion education that are appropriate to implement when caring for patients from your selected cultural population? 
6. Reveal your total score (answer from adding all columns together) from the Cultural Competency Checklist. Briefly discuss your thoughts regarding your results: Were you disappointed in your score or did you find you were more culturally competent than you realized? Did you find that you could be more culturally competent by suggestions changes at work? Identify biases you have that you were not previously aware of. 
7. Identify and discuss the following:
   1. Two (2) specific ways you will proceed to personally improve your own cultural competency and
   1. Two (2) specific ways you will address any barriers related to cultural care in your current job/practice setting.

Remember to attach as a FILE your completed checklist to your original post with your score correctly tallied and your name typed in at the end of the document. Do not copy and paste it into the actual post contents.  

 Respond to three or more postings of your colleagues, addressing such things as:

• What other information did you find about this different culture that influences nursing care?
• How does this other culture “fit” into your own beliefs and health practices?
• Do you have any other ideas for health programs related to this age group?
• What alternate methods of addressing cultural competency in the workplace can you suggest?
• Are there other ways to address health promotion in this different age group or cultural group?
• Challenge your colleague to a different view or deeper insight.