The document describes three examples of cultural practices related to healthcare:
1) A Saudi Arabian mother putting kohl in her sick child's eye, which the nurse discovered contained lead sulfate and advised against using.
2) Southern African American pregnant women eating clay dirt or argo due to cultural beliefs it helped with pregnancy, which nurses educated could have negative effects.
3) A Mexican Catholic nurse who refused to assist with an abortion due to her religious beliefs, causing a conflict with her supervisor who threatened to fire her.
The document describes three examples of cultural practices related to healthcare:
1) A Saudi Arabian mother putting kohl in her sick child's eye, which the nurse discovered contained lead sulfate and advised against using.
2) Southern African American pregnant women eating clay dirt or argo due to cultural beliefs it helped with pregnancy, which nurses educated could have negative effects.
3) A Mexican Catholic nurse who refused to assist with an abortion due to her religious beliefs, causing a conflict with her supervisor who threatened to fire her.
The document describes three examples of cultural practices related to healthcare:
1) A Saudi Arabian mother putting kohl in her sick child's eye, which the nurse discovered contained lead sulfate and advised against using.
2) Southern African American pregnant women eating clay dirt or argo due to cultural beliefs it helped with pregnancy, which nurses educated could have negative effects.
3) A Mexican Catholic nurse who refused to assist with an abortion due to her religious beliefs, causing a conflict with her supervisor who threatened to fire her.
The document describes three examples of cultural practices related to healthcare:
1) A Saudi Arabian mother putting kohl in her sick child's eye, which the nurse discovered contained lead sulfate and advised against using.
2) Southern African American pregnant women eating clay dirt or argo due to cultural beliefs it helped with pregnancy, which nurses educated could have negative effects.
3) A Mexican Catholic nurse who refused to assist with an abortion due to her religious beliefs, causing a conflict with her supervisor who threatened to fire her.
A transcultural nurse entered a hospital room in Saudi
Arabia and discovered a mother putting a dark substance into the eye of her sick ten-month-old child. The nurse was knowledgeable about kohl, which is used for cosmetic and eye conditions according to Koranic statements. The transcultural nurse talked to the mother about why she used kohl. "To make my child beautiful and to prevent diseases," the mother explained. The nurse helped the mom to understand that she used the kohl in the container containing lead sulfate. The nurse advised the mother not to use it because it could cause serious eye problems.
Southern African American and Pregnancy Example
The mothers described this tradition as "comforting," saying it helped "settle my stomach" and "build up my blood." The nurse was aware of these cultural beliefs about generic cultural practices involving the consumption of small amounts of clay. After seeing mothers using clay dirt or Argo, the pregnant mothers feared negative effects from community health nurses. When one pregnant woman who ate the clay arrived at the hospital, a string was tied around her abdomen. The client quickly informed the nurse, "It's for my new baby's protection." She also had a small pair of scissors under her pillow "to cut the labor pains." The nurses provided respectful caring and comfort to the mothers while practicing culture-care accommodation. The mothers agreed to use modern professional nursing practices as long as their traditional substances and practices were preserved. When the mothers saw that their beliefs and practices could be used as integrative generic and professional care practices, they became more trusting of the nurses.
Mexican Nurse and Abortion Example
Mary, a Mexican professional nurse midwife, was ordered to participate in a therapeutic abortion by her supervisor. She is also a devout Roman Catholic who refused to take part in the abortion because it violated her religious beliefs. The supervisor informed Mary that "other nurses accepted such assignments and that she did not have any other nurses available." The supervisor then said, "Well, you can set up the abortion equipment, supplies, and operating table." Mary refused this assignment once more, telling the supervisor, "I will be assisting or assisting in the murder of an innocent child, and this is participating in murder." The supervisor was furious, and she later threatened to fire her. A significant cultural conflict arose in this situation between the supervisor and the nurse in charge of caring for a client undergoing abortion. Religious conflicts and situations like these result in incongruent and unethical professional care practices. The nurse's generic values clashed with the supervisor's professional values.