Many variables such as culture, socioeconomic factors, generational

practices, and current trends affect patients' and families' health beliefs and
practices.

Health beliefs are what people believe about their health, what
they think constitutes their health, what they consider the cause of their
illness, and ways to overcome an illness. These beliefs are, of course,
culturally determined, and all come together to form larger health belief
systems. Different cultures have different definitions of what constitutes
health and what causes illness. Culture itself can be defined in many ways,
but it is basically the characteristics that comprise a group of people’s way
of life, such as attitudes, beliefs, practices, etc.

Religion, culture, beliefs, and ethnic customs can influence how patients
understand health concepts, take care of their health, and make decisions
related to their health. Without proper training, clinicians may deliver
medical advice without understanding how health beliefs and cultural
practices influence the way that advice is received. Asking about patients'
religions, cultures, and ethnic customs can help clinicians engage patients
so that, together, they can devise treatment plans that are consistent with
the patients' values.

Common Filipino Cultural Beliefs

Table 1

Filipino word/s depicting cultural beliefs and their English translation

Filipino word depicting cultural beliefs English translation

Namamana Inheritance

Lihi Conception or maternal cravings

Pasma Hot and cold syndrome

Sumpa and gaba Curse

Namaligno Mystical and supernatural causes

Kaloob ng Diyos God’s will

Diversity in the Nursing field is essential because it provides

opportunities to administer quality care to patients. Diversity in Nursing
includes all of the following: gender, veteran status, race, disability, age,
religion, ethnic heritage, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation,
education status, national origin, and physical characteristics.
Communication with patients can be improved and patient care enhanced
when healthcare providers bridge the divide between the culture of
medicine and the beliefs and practices that make up a patient's value
system.

When the Nursing workforce reflects it's patient demographic,

communication improves thus making the patient feel more comfortable. A
person who has little in common with you cannot adequately advocate for
your benefit. Otherwise, you might as well have a history teacher in charge
of advanced algebra.

If you have Nurses who understand their patient’s culture, environment,

food, customs, religious views, etc, they can provide their patients with
ultimate care. Every healthcare experience provides an opportunity to have
a positive effect on a patient’s health. Healthcare providers can maximize
this potential by learning more about patients' cultures. In doing so, they
are practicing cultural competency or cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Educational Advantages of Technology

Safe, controlled environments that eliminate risk to

patients

Enhanced, realistic visualization

Authentic contexts for learning and assessment

Documentation of learner behavior and outcomes

Instruction tailored to individual or group needs

Learner control of the educational experience

Repetition and deliberate practice

Enhance perceptual variation and improve skill

coordination

Standardization of instruction and assessment

TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING EDUCATION

There are many technologies currently being used in nursing education. Although the
following attempts to present these as individual approaches, the applications overlap in
terms of technological components and instructional possibilities.

Online / E-learning is a system that combines the advantages of technology with what
we know about how people learn. To put it simply, it’s teaching you what you need to
learn with the help of electronic resources. These include videos, virtual classrooms,
and interactive modules.

Computer-assisted Learning ( for limited face to face )

The education of undergraduate medical students can be enhanced through the use of
computer-assisted learning. One example is the use of “flipped classrooms” in which
students review an online lecture before the lecture session, and come to the classroom
to have an interactive session with the teacher. This time can now be spent on further
exploring complex issues or discussing and solving questions in more personalized
guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing.

Mobile Devices

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are routinely used by students for medical questions,
patient management, and treatment decisions. Medical apps for iPhones and Android
devices are numerous. Although many focus on anatomy and physiology, some address
medical problem solving, diagnosis, and treatment. The website iMedicalApps.com
provides recommendations for the best apps for students and residents and links to
online app stores for purchases. Stanford University, as one example, has a “Student
App” webpage and Stanford apps that can be obtained from the Apple store. Many
medical apps are also available to be used on tablets as well as phones.

Simulation

The aim of the simulation is to imitate real patients, anatomic regions, or clinical tasks,
and/or mirror the real-life circumstances in which medical services are rendered.
Simulations can fulfill a number of educational goals. The learning characteristics
identified included providing feedback, repetitive practice, curriculum integrations, range
of difficulty levels, multiple learning strategies, the capture of clinical variation, individual
learning, and the ability to define outcomes or benchmarks.

Benefits of e-Learning for Nursing Students

How can you benefit from e-learning? Compared to traditional schools and
classroom-type learning, e-learning can offer a number of advantages. Here are just
some of them.

Convenient
In this fast-paced world, convenience is a big factor in whatever we do. Hands down,
e-learning wins at this aspect. It offers learning at your own pace and own place. This
benefit erases the impression that studying is a hard and rigid thing. Because of its
convenience, other barriers to learning (like time and transportation challenges) are
taken care of. Such an advantage can help boost motivation and can allow any learner
to focus on the information being given.

Cost-efficient

Enrolling in nursing school requires a lot of financial resources. Tuition fee, food
allowance, transportation, books… you name it. It’s the same as well for a nurse
enrolling in a training school for specialization or other competencies. E-learning can be
a great alternative to lessen such expenses. The materials are readily available, making
it lighter on the pocket! Plus, you won’t need to spend on transportation and other costs.

Continuous

Materials are updated and revised according to the latest trends in nursing education
and clinical practice. Outdated information is easily replaced, giving you access to the
most up-to-date courses and training. Plus, more sophisticated educational tools are
commonly used, making learning much easier for you.

Consistent

In traditional classroom settings, courses and lessons may be delivered to students

differently by various instructors. Some information may be missed as well. Such a
problem in inconsistencies of conveying the message is not a new issue. This is
because the methodology differs according to the one who delivers it. In e-learning, the
same material and methodology are made available to the learners, thus preventing the
common errors of inconsistencies.

Controlled
In e-learning, you can review and revisit the material whenever you want. This boosts
memory retention and increases mastery. Additionally, students who have more control
of the mode and pace of learning are more focused on the information at hand. This
decreases the chance of missing the most important points of every topic.

Technology has truly made learning easier for everyone! E-learning is one of the best
methods students and professionals alike can use to further their knowledge and
training. If you’re a nurse or nursing student, maybe it’s time to check out which
e-learning tools and modules are available for you!