Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage is defined by “Culture in Development” as “an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values”. Stemming from these also include value systems, beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles (Culture in Development). The cultural background of every individual who sets foot in a healthcare setting is going to be unique, so being able to understand another person’s culture and how it impacts their life plays a tremendously critical role in becoming an exceptional nurse who can provide great service to their patient.
The three families evaluated were the Chacko, Novales, and Jackson families. Although each family came from a different background, they all categorized themselves as being Christian and having similar religious practices of praying, reading the Bible, and going to Church occasionally.
Even though each family comes from a different ethnic background, they all seemed to have a similar Western view on how diseases and illnesses come about and had similar beliefs on how various health conditions should be treated. For example, each family demonstrated the notion that when they feel “sick”, they usually wait a few days to see if their illness will go away (such as the case for a cold) on it’s own; otherwise if it seems a little more “serious” then they will make an appointment to go see their doctor. According to EuroMed,
“Western industrialized societies such as the United States, which see disease as a result of natural scientific phenomena, advocate medical treatments that combat microorganisms or use sophisticated technology to diagnose and treat disease. Other societies believe that illness is the result of supernatural phenomena and promote prayer or other spiritual interventions that counter the presumed disfavor of powerful forces” (EuroMed).
The extent to which cultural beliefs are relevant in a person’s...