The cultural competence interview focused on A.K., who is a 23-year old male and a graduate of UC Irvine in the School of Medicine. The questions used as part of the interview were from the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence with the aim of gaining an understanding of differentiated aspects concerning his culture. The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence, which was developed in 1995, seeks to describe different elements concerning a given patient with the intention of ensuring that the services offered match expected demands (Giger, Davidhizar, Purnell, Harden, Phillips, & Strickland, 2007). Each of the questions used as part of this interview was important in trying to get a clear understanding of A.K. from a multicultural perspective.
Overview, Inhabited Localities, and Topography
The overview of heritage seeks to examine some of the underlying effects of a country's topology with the focus being too on areas such as politics, health, and economics among others (Purnell, 2002). A.K. is of Indian background having been born in Punjab, India. Generally, India is a somewhat impoverished nation. However, it is essential to consider the fact that majority of the parents insist on education and religion. For A.K., these are both aspects that have helped in shaping his decision to study medicine in the United States.
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Communication
Communication refers to the acceptable use of both verbal and non-verbal languages within multiple cultural perspectives (Purnell, 2002). In the case of A.K., he indicates that the most common word in his home in Punjab. However, he stated that he had learned other languages including English and French to help him communicate with others outside his home. He indicated that one key aspect to note about his tribe is that it is considered as being rude when looking at older persons directly in the eyes during communication. He indicates that this is a cultural aspect that his family has maintained after moving to the United States.
Family Roles and Organization
Family roles and organization refer to the roles of individual members of the family, as well as, the acceptance of a lifestyle that is different from one’s culture (Purnell, 2002). Having moved to the United States, A.K. indicates that he his family has adapted to the American culture in which family roles tend to be defined by each member of the family. However, he suggested that the male, his father, is in charge of making all relevant family decisions taking into account that this is evident in both the Indian and American cultures.
Workforce Issues
A.K., being of Indian origin, is expected to wear a turban as part of his attire, which has been a contributing factor to some of the critical workforce issues that he had faced. In his bid to looking for employment, A.K. has been met with outright discrimination with some of the employers wanting him to remove the turban. It has also been tough for A.K. to engage with others in his workplace environment considering that they negatively view him, which seeks to create some form of stereotype concerning his culture.
Biocultural Ecology
Indians are typically viewed as have dark hair, Caucasians, and have brown eyes. In the case of the men, A.K. indicated that the male figures in the society are expected to grow long beards as an element of cultural identity. A.K. suggests that since he was young, he has been prone to specific health issues including hypertension and anemia, which are predominant within the Indian culture. These two conditions arise from the fact that majority of the Indian are vegetarians, which is the case with A.K., thus, creating a situation where his body lacks iron as a vital nutrient in blood formation.
High-Risk Behaviors
A.K. indicated that one of the critical problems that India was facing revolved around the fact that a significant number of Indians consume high volumes of alcohol. He suggests that although he or his parents and siblings have not been affected by the problem, a majority of his Indian friends face this as a critical issue. Some of the safety practices that A.K. indicated include use of condoms and immunizations, which he indicates he had played a key role towards defining his westernization. He demonstrates that indeed his stay in American society has had a significant influence on his understanding of issues such as sexuality.
Nutrition
Nutrition involves the quality of foods that one consumer with the aim of trying to understand some of the health issues including nutritional deficiencies and limitations (Campinha-Bacote, 1999). A.K. indicated that he is a vegetarian attributed to his family background. In overall, this has had significant impacts on his health considering that he finds himself lacking some of the essential nutrients. A.K. indicated that his constant exposure to issues such as anemia had been attributed to the fact that his nutrition is impacted in a significant way due to his food consumption habits.
Pregnancy
On the issue of pregnancy, A.K. does not have a lot to discuss taking into consideration that the issue of sex is considered as a taboo in Indian society. However, he indicates that engagement in premarital sex is prohibited within Indian society, thus, acting as a clear indication of the fact that indeed this is a topic that people do not discuss. On the other hand, he indicates that Indian appreciate the fact women ought to visit hospitals, which would help protect them during the course of giving birth and postnatal care.
Death Rituals
A.K., being of Indian background, indicated that one of the most important rituals associated with death among the Indian is cremation. He indicated that his people believe in cremation after which the ashes are later spread within the Ganges River. Additionally, he indicated that he believes in the idea of reincarnation in the event that a person does not develop some form of ‘oneness’ with God during the lifetime. A.K. pointed out that majority of the death rituals have a close connection to religion with the view that indeed these rituals help in creating a safe passage for persons from the human realm to the spirit realm.
Spirituality
A.K. and other members of his family, which include his parents and siblings, practice Sikhism, which is considered as being the fifth largest religion in the world today. He indicated that one of the critical aspects that highlight its similarity to other religions is the fact that they believe in One Almighty God. A.K. attends weekly religious services within the local temple, which acts as a symbolic aspect in his bid towards creating a connection with his religion. Additionally, he also attends some of the religious ceremonies including weddings and burials as per religious expectations.
Health-Care Practices
A.K. pointed out that together with his family members believe in the idea of having to visit medical practitioners on a regular basis with the aim of ensuring that they maintain positive health. However, he indicated that he had practiced Ayurvedic medicine, as an alternative form of medicine, which works towards building his connection to his traditional society. He pointed out that this particular form of medicine reflects more on combining herbs and spices, which are used for purposes of healing while at home. Lastly, he pointed out that he regularly engages in yoga as a wellness approach to help maintain his health.
Health-Care Practitioners
On the aspect of health-care practitioners, A.K. pointed out that the Indian culture has been closely linked to western forms of medicine, which has resulted in a situation where India is known as the world’s medical hub. A.K.'s father is a medical doctor practicing within the United States, which is the same as his brother-in-law. His constant view of his father in the healthcare environment provided him with the urge to become a medical doctor, thus, prompting him to study in the school of medicine. He believes that both his father and brother-in-law may have driven his decision.
Summary
The cultural competency interview focused on A.K., who is an Indian-American. The interview reflected on questions from the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence with the sole focus being towards understanding different aspects of his culture. The responses given during the interview have helped in exposing different aspects about A.K., as well as, his culture taking into account that this would assist in providing quality care. The focus for this report was to give a summary of responses given by A.K. during the interview focused on the twelve domains of culture.
References
Campinha-Bacote, J. (1999). A model and instrument for addressing cultural competence in health care. Journal of Nursing Education , 38 (5), 203-207.
Giger, J., Davidhizar, R. E., Purnell, L., Harden, J. T., Phillips, J., & Strickland, O. (2007). American Academy of nursing expert panel report: Developing cultural competence to eliminate health disparities in ethnic minorities and other vulnerable populations. Journal of Transcultural Nursing , 18 (2), 95-102.
Purnell, L. D. (2002). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach . New York, NY: FA Davis.
