The field of healthcare experiences a whole range of people from different countries. Every country and culture has their own customs and traditions. People from other countries look different, speak another language and behave themselves differently. Understanding the different cultures can enable nurses to be able to deliver services effectively. They will be able to respond to respond to the health practices, beliefs and the needs of its diverse patients. The Purnell model was developed to organize and provide a framework for nurses in cultural assessment. The model includes 12 cultural domains that affect one another (Purnell, 2012). This paper analyzes an interview with a Latino based on the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence.
Overview/Heritage
The person I interviewed is a 26-year male who has been a resident of the United States for 12 years and goes by the initials N.S. His parents came to the United States from Guatemala looking for a new start in their lives. The Guatemalan heritage involves people that make up the Latino culture. From the interview, N.S preferred to be referred to as a Latino instead of Hispanic. They migrated to the United States due to the availability of work, better living conditions and a better quality of life. The parents came with their Latino culture and this has been an integral part of his growing up. His strong Latino background and different religion and cultural practices are one of the reasons he was selected for the interview.
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Communication
Having been raised in Guatemala for a large part of his life, N.S. can speak fluent Spanish. He considered the Spanish language as one of the most important characteristics of the culture. This was especially true because interactions with other family members like parents were often done in Spanish. He noted that Spanish speakers were scarce in the general population. This was a great hindrance when he first moved to the United States. As far as nonverbal communication is concerned, he noted that maintaining eye contact is concerned as intimidating by many Latinos. He gave a special emphasis on the importance of interpersonal relationships. Respect is highly valued in their culture and the use of formal titles is highly valued by all members of the community.
Family organization and roles
N.S. holds a deep respect for his father who he considers as the head of the household, the primary decision maker, and the provider for the family. His mother submits to the father willfully. He noted that divorce is totally unacceptable and most of the people that undergo divorce are often treated as outcasts. N.S noted that he did not have a close relationship with his grandfather and the entire family due to the issue of distance. However, he noted that the extended family are important and they travel from time to time. As a child, he noted that he is valued in the community and is always taught to respect the elder people.
Workforce
N.S. noted that his father owns a restaurant and has been working to build the business for many years now. Most of the other people in the Latino culture work in factories and construction industry. During their time of stay in Guatemala, his mother did not have any formal employment. Her main role was to keep the family together. However, during their stay in the United States, they have faced various economic challenges and his mother helps the father in the restaurant.
Bio-cultural ecology
When identifying himself and his colour, N.S noted that he identified himself as Caucasian. He identified himself closely with the indigenous race and people from Guatemala. Further research showed that the notable difference in those Latino groups is based on the aspects of educational status, language refinement, cultural attitudes and values, and their attitudes towards the treatment of mental health (Gonzalez and Morrison, 2016). N.S stated that the most prevalent disease associated with American Latinos include asthma, diabetes, and obesity.
Heart diseases and diabetes are common in Latino due to a lifestyle difference of taking too much fatty foods. It can be sometimes difficult to detect various diseases due to the biological variations of people in the Latino community. N.S did not know of any specific genetic illness associated with his community. However, there is a prevalence of cystic fibrosis and sickle cell diseases associated with the individuals.
High-risk behaviours
Most of the high-risk behaviour associated with Latinos are associated with people coming from difficult backgrounds. N.S mentioned that his Latino friends that faced difficult economic times often dropped out of school and engaged in drugs and unsafe sexual practices. However, those from backgrounds that were stable did not engage in the use of drugs. Additional research showed that the use of seatbelts was least among the Latinos and increased the chances of crash fatality.
Nutrition
From the interview, food plays an important role in enhancing the culture of Latinos. Most foods are usually given with a combination of herbs when either cold or hot. The common food that they prefer taking is Corn. For most of the time, N.S stated that the diet would consist of maize, rice, black beans, carrots, chillies, cabbage, lettuce, onion, and garlic. A good appetite is normally associated with good health. Children have a preference for food and their choice when they do not want to take food is respected. Food is often served hot due to the belief that cold food could result in illness among children. N.S noted that his mother sometimes refuses certain foods because of the belief that it is harmful.
Pregnancy and childbearing practices
While N.S did not have a personal experience with an expectant person in the family, he knew pregnancy and childbearing practices from other Latinos. He noted that most of the Latinos do not believe in abortion or contraception. Most of the women that desire contraception may not seek it due to lack of support from the community. The common belief carried by Guatemalan is that the placenta has to be burned and not buried because it may be disrespectful to the earth. Most of the women continue breastfeeding until the child reaches an age of 3 years.
Death rituals
N.S believes that when a person dies, the person moves to a different phase of life. The common belief is that even though someone may not be there physically, the person lives in spirit. N.S noted that once a Guatemalan in the United States dies, the family would often request for repatriation and have the final rest at the home country. The family would often pull resources together and send the body home. Most of them believe in burial and not cremation. During mourning, the family often uses yellow colour. Yellow flowers are often placed at the grave.
Spirituality
N.S. is affiliated to Catholicism where he notes that he has grown in the church from an early age. The general preference by the family is that they attend churches characterized by Latino attendees and Hispanic clergy where the service is in Spanish. N.S believes that life events happen for a reason and is always a favour or a punishment from God. Therefore, if pain or illness arrives, then it means that it could be a test of the faith or the individual’s religious practices.
Healthcare practices
N.S. noted that the family follows the traditional healthcare practices at times but often adopts primarily the use of western medicine. However, modern healthcare practices such as preventive care and screening tests are not prevalent in the group. N.S stated that he and other members of the family have health insurance. However, he knows of many Latinos that do not visit hospitals frequently because of lack of health insurance.
Healthcare practitioners
N.S stated that the primary healthcare provider in the family is often the mother. When one is sick, the normal procedure is to seek advice from the mother. If this is unsuccessful, they often resort to other forms of treatment. There is a reliance on both traditional and western healthcare practitioners. The general community has a deep respect for nurses and physicians. The community believes that the role of physicians and nurses can be taken by both males and female with no discrimination.
In conclusion, I chose N.S for the interview because he is from the Latino culture, a rapid growing ethnic community in the United States. It is evident from the interview that the culture of N.S is a culture rich group. The general aim of their beliefs is that it would bring people together. It is the ultimate role of nurses and people in the community to understand the differences that exist between them. This will enable better provision of service by promoting communication and understanding.
References
Gonzalez, R. G., & Morrison, J. (2016). Culture or no culture? A Latino critical research analysis of Latino persistence research. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education , 15 (1), 87-108.
Purnell, L. D. (2012). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach . FA Davis.
