A Peer Response must be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Do Not use references! Please do not use cited sources. Word count is greater than 75 words or at least 5 sentences in length. Statements like “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the words or sentences.
Discussion question/Participation #1
Nurses are required to put into practice culturally competent practices when providing healthcare services. To promote safe patient care, appropriate religious traditions, cultural competence, and community practices should be considered (Pagani et al., 2019). For example, in a case where a nurse is examining a Hindu patient, the nurse should first put the practices and beliefs of the Hindu into consideration. The nurse should start with a greeting of Namaste, which aligns with this religion (Pagani et al., 2019). Also, the nurse should remember to carry out the process at a slow rate as rushing is associated with rudeness in Hindu.
Also, Hindus are more private, and therefore the nurse should respect that and carry out the examination in a secluded place (Taylor, 2018). The patient should be allowed to process the information given and decide whether they prefer the mode of treatment is suggested or not Ayurvedic and Queensland health support Hindu healthcare-associated practices countrywide (Taylor, 2018). Patients are free to consult these organizations if need be.
Discussion question/Participation #2
Every nurse in the modern healthcare setting requires cultural competency skills to offer discreet yet respectable and quality services to the patients despite their cultural differences. Cultural competence enables a nurse to learn the three essential elements of awareness, acceptance, and asking. I am unfamiliar with the Amish culture; therefore, while admitting a 19-year-old Amish female student, I need to understand some of the Amish’s fundamental cultural beliefs to ensure a productive interview. Some of the Amish cultural beliefs include belief in traditional medication, lack of health insurance, sickness is God’s making, and visitation of the sick in the hospital (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). Despite our differences in beliefs, I must understand and respect her ideas to provide patient-centered care.
To ensure a productive interview, I will ask questions that do not contradict her beliefs. For instance, I will ask her how long she has had a fever and possible reasons for her condition. The Amish believe that sickness is a punishment from God and often use herbal medication to remedy disease. Moreover, I may ask about any allergic conditions to determine which food and medicine will be most appropriate for her during the treatment period. In my community, we have a few Amish communities; therefore, we have no support groups for these communities (Nurse.org, 2016). Nonetheless, the community health workers at the national level are always on the run to ensure effective training in providing quality and patient-centered care for the minority groups.
Discussion question/Participation #3
As a nurse it is important to keep in mind the importance of cultural competence as each individual comes from their own unique cultural background. A cultural I, myself am not very familiar with is the muslim community. If I were to receive a patient of that culture I would need to be mindful of various factors. Privacy and modesty, these patients will require same sex nurses, minimize eye and physical contact, and we will also need to keep in mind their dietary needs. Those of this culture do not intake anything from a pig, or anything with alcohol. If my patient comes in during the month of ramadan, I will also need to ask if my patient is participating in the fasting component of it. This is extremely important in patients that are needing meds taken with food, or blood sugar levels being maintained (Mataoui & Sheldon, 2016).
To encourage the muslim community to be active in their healthcare, the Islamic Center in Tucson, Arizona participates in a free clinic health day. This day is open to adults and children. Pakistani Physicians provide care to the patients. This is a great service for the muslim community. Patients who may not feel comfortable enough to go to any other clinic, can attend one in their community surrounded by a familiar culture.
Discussion question/Participation #4
Two health issues that are improved or prevented with exercise are heart disease and mental health and mood. Regular exercise helps to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and decrease risk of coronary artery disease. It helps boost circulation and increases oxygen in the body. Physical activity contributes to better mood and mental health. It releases chemicals that makes people feel relaxed and happier. This aids in dealing with stress and decreases depression. (MedlinePlus, 2017). There are many health benefits to exercise.
Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States. Approximately 655,000 people die each year from heart disease. Persons most at risk include smokers and those with hypertension and high cholesterol. Other factors such as having diabetes, obesity, and low physical activity also put contribute to risk. (CDC, 2020). Heart disease is very prevalent in the US today.
Anxiety affects 40 million adults and 18% of the United States over 18 population. It’s the most common mental illness in the US. It affects 25% of children ages 13-18. Anxiety often occurs along with depression. Only 36.9% of people seek treatment. (ADAA, n.d.). Anxiety and depression are a common problem in the US.
Exercise and being active is good for your heart and improves mental health and well-being. It helps with weight loss, lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, and stress relief. It’s important to be active longer than 10 minutes at a time. A good goal is to do aerobic activity for 40 minutes, three to four times per week. Exercises such as fast walking, jogging, swimming, and biking are the best. (Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, n.d.).
As a nurse, I would ask about lifestyle choices, such as substance use, smoking, and exercise during the patient assessment. I would then encourage exercise, such as aerobic activity and walking for at least three to four times per week and describe the benefits, including how it’s good for your heart and mental health. Brochures or appropriate websites could be recommended as well. I would ask the patient to repeat back the information or verbalize understanding and ask if they have a plan to stay active.
Discussion question/Participation #5
For a middle-aged adult, exercise can reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as heart attack, obesity, diabetes, and stroke. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are the most common at-risk health issues that regular physical exercise and activity can help prevent and manage. According to the CDC (2020), the prevalence of obesity in the U.S in the period 2017-2018 was 40% among young adults aged 20 to 39, 44.8 % among middle-aged adults, and 42.8% among adults aged 60 and older.
In addition, approximately 90 to 95% out of the 30 million people in the U.S with diabetes have type 2 diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The main risk factors of type 2 diabetes include genetic and lifestyle factors, such as excess body fat, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and advanced age. Incorporating regular physical exercise and activity is the best health promotion strategy that nurses can devise to solve obesity and type 2 diabetes. Consequently, as a nurse, I will recommend a strict diet and physical fitness activities to manage their health conditions. Moreover, I will educate and recommend the patients to adopt an exercise regimen that involves 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical exercise daily (Arena et al., 2017). Teaching the patients to set self-regulatory skills, self-monitoring, evaluating their progress, and visiting a physical activity specialist are essential practices to ensure positive physical change. Physical fitness is vital for everybody, especially those who live a sedentary lifestyle; therefore, I recommend walking, cycling, and workouts to everybody regardless of the disease conditions.
Discussion question/Participation #6
Exercise really is better than medicine. No medication out there can give you all the benefits that exercise does. Unfortunately, it takes work and motivation to exercise, and sometimes that’s a hard thing to commit to (It’s a lot easier to swallow a pill). Two at-risk issues that exercise helps curb are coronary artery disease (CAD) and depression. 18.2 million, or about 6.7%, of the U.S. population age 20 and older have CAD (CDC, 2020-b.). There are many risk factors for CAD that are diminished or eliminated with exercise. These include keeping blood pressure within normal limits, decreasing the level of bad or LDL cholesterol, controlling blood sugar/improving HgA1c, and keeping weight in a healthy range (AHA, 2016).
Depression affects about 4.7% of the U.S. population over the age of 18. In 2019, there were 47,511 suicide deaths reported (CDC, 2021-a.). Depression is also a risk factor for CAD. Exercise reduces one’s risk for depression by reducing feelings of stress and depression by the release of endorphins during exercise, improving quality of sleep, and achieving a sense of accomplishment upon completion of a bout of exercise (AHA, 2016).
The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. As little as 10 minutes at a time ideally spread throughout the week can benefit the individual. Aerobic exercise is movement that increases the heart rate and respirations, and can include walking, swimming, or biking. Strengthening exercises should be incorporated into an exercise routine at least twice a week, and flexibility exercises daily. Finding activities the individual enjoys is helpful in developing a consistent exercise routine (AHA, 2016).
Regular participation in health promotion activites, like exercise, can be a challenge. It is important that the individual understands why it’s so beneficial to exercise, and when educating about the benefits and giving recommendations, the nurse should use factual, reliable data. Also, consistency begins with a strong mindset. If the individual doesn’t want to exercise, they aren’t going to. Determining what motivates a person to be healthy, such as wanting to be able to go on an upcoming trip, not having another heart attack, or seeing their grandbaby born, and teaching ways to strengthen their willpower to exercise, such as having a friend to help hold them accountable, can be helpful (AHA, 2016).
