ulture is referred to as a set of morals, art, principles, music, practices as well as values shared by a particular group. Besides, Hispanic was initially used to show an association to antique Hispania which was the Roman designation of “the Iberian Peninsula”. In the United States of America, the word is used to designate a culture and individuals from Spanish-speaking which comprises of Latin American states. These particular states were previously ruled by the Spain Kingdom. In addition, Hispanic was used by the United States government to identify persons living in the U.S and are of Latin America descent. Both Latino and Hispanic are typically used interchangeably since they both use the same ethnic group. The conceptual paper would critically analyze the aspect of Hispanic culture and practices in regard to terminal illness, dying, compare such beliefs with other cultures, discuss the role of nurses in the Hispanic culture, among other facets.
There are widespread perplexing variables which typically differ with each family set as well as trends which might offer healthcare consultants with a better understanding of predicaments in regard to dying and death in every particular societal group. Combination of customary beliefs and practices, as well as different health insights, may lead to a muddled clarification of cancer ailment in addition to its influence on family wellbeing resulting in different fallacy within Hispanic culture. Although obstacles and initiators to cancer upkeep as well as treatment are known to be multifactorial where they have as well been premeditated across numerous stages of the social-cultural context, fewer studies have been in a position to examine various ways in order to offer and deliver operative interventions associated with culturally varied population (L. Baider, 2012). Besides, sociocultural beliefs are typically related to cancer results majorly through principles, behaviors, and attitudes linked to treatise of a reasonable truth as well as devotion to western medicinal simulations of autonomy and people verdicts.
Furthermore, the means in which healthcare scheme, as well as family, achieve terminal illness besides care is a chiefly useful opening into the religious, cultural as well as customary values of each given family in a specific culture. As a result, the healthcare scheme needs to be capable of giving satisfactory information, addressing trepidations and responding to questions centered on particular practices and values of a particular family within Hispanic culture. Besides, there is a pronounced deal to study about each people's culture especially in regard to Hispanic descent and collective humankind when engrossed on losses, ailment as well as demise.
Moreover, in customary Hispanic families, upkeep delivered for a family member who is terminally ill is majorly undertaken by feminine relatives who do not look for any outsider to enable them to cope with stress associated with the person nearing demise. A small number of Hispanic families do not suggest any idea of keeping an extremely ill person in any nursing home at all. Besides, the ill individual is taken care of while still at home until the time he dies. Hispanic persons believe that spending time with a sick person who is adjacent to death would allow such kinsfolks to be capable of resolving outstanding issues within that particular family. The Church teaches that the soul of the deceased individual is everlasting and therefore endures on after death of the physical body. The family members of a seriously ill person might extend to the local priests in order to seek support in the time before death (Omilion-Hodges, et al., 2017). After the death of this person, the priest would offer upkeep and backing in regards to funeral preparations. On his or her deathbed, the seriously sick person is given last rites by a priest who anoints him or her with holy oil. After the priest hears the confession of the dying person, he thereafter offers absolution.
Consequently, after the death of a Hispanic person and when the body is ready for burial, a wake is held by that particular family. In this incident, the family associates would sit with the deceased’s body until the moment it is buried. During this moment, it is the best moment for friends as well as family associates to be able to share great reminiscences of the deceased. During this event, flowers as well as candles would be positioned in a room in which visitation would be detained. During funeral ceremonies, a Mass would be conducted in a church. In addition, the coffer which carries the departed is mainly conveyed to the site where close family associates participate in a procession while being moved closer to the dais. A customary burial typically adheres church service.
Subsequently, according to Hispanic culture, the deceased return on particular existences of the year and are thus recalled through special occasions (Brooten, et al., 2016). Friends and members of extended family escort instant family to the graveyard for an internment. Mourners thereafter gather for a special meal besides reception, this is the best time to comfort those who deal with their sorrow and be able to share tales about the departed. According to Hispanic culture in regard to demise and dying beliefs, when an individual dies, he/she moves into a diverse life stage. As a result, their treasured ones stay on in soul and thereby are very much a portion of the family regardless of the fact that they are no longer in this world.
Ideally, there exist differences between Hispanic culture and Native-American culture on matters associated with death, dying and terminal illness. In the case of Native-Americans, the concept of death is defined by beliefs in regard to balance and harmony. In addition, in numerous Native-American traditions, the worlds for both the living and the deceased are believed to exist simultaneously and therefore not separate. As a result, the bodies of the departed assist the earth in the production of new life, thus extending the lifecycle. In accordance with this belief, death is a fundamental part of the life cycle. Unfortunately, not every Native-American group embrace these similar beliefs. These beliefs are quite different from the Hispanic culture in regard to death and dying (Askim-Lovseth, et al., 2018). A great number of Native-American believe that the moment an infant dies, the infant would be reincarnated in another family typically through another birth. According to Native-American culture, the body of the deceased was not left alone till the time of burial. This is because there was the belief that the spirit of the deceased would remain on earth for some days and such spirits would visit different places which he or she lived while on earth. During this occasion, friends and family members left food and favorite stuff in the deceased's casket to provide for the spirit during its journey. In other cases, the belongings of the deceased are placed in the deceased's casket or destroyed (Wright, et al., 2016). This typically differs from the Hispanic culture where a Mass is performed for the deceased and prayers are common. Lighting of the candle is also done for the deceased for a stipulated period of time among other practices.
Numerous patients who try to seek medical care within the Hispanic culture would have already sought assistance from family resources. This implies that family involvement in healthcare practices is common and nurses are strongly advised to encourage such participation and embrace the family as a resource and focus of care regarding health planning, whether for a community or individuals. Also, nurses must understand and conform with the patient in addition to family gender responsibilities. Some Hispanic patients did not rely on nurses and therefore preferred the use of home medicines and might consult a folk healer commonly known as a curandero (Jun, 2018). Medications were commonly shared with social networks where the sick would use prayer, herbal medicine, as well as prescription medication obtained from a friend. Majority of the Hispanic people were quite reluctant in sharing their beliefs with nurses and they relied mostly on prayers and faith in God for a cure.
Finally, such information on the mode of treatment is crucial since nurses, like myself, are known to be the most direct patient contact as compared to other healthcare professionals. As a result, we must aim at providing culturally proficient care to patients. It also helps in understanding that nurses need to strive in order to entirely meet the needs of the Hispanic people by decreasing transportation as well as cost barriers. Such information would also help in improving the quality of healthcare services offered to the Hispanic communities. This would only be applicable through identification and overcoming obstacles which avert equitable access to quality healthcare including finances among other facets. This would also be imperative for nursing professionals to be in a position to take lead in the improvement of healthcare practices. These practices would aim at improving outcomes for the Hispanic populace through the promotion of culturally competent nursing care. Such understanding of nursing and provision of culturally competent health is critical in order to improve patient access, knowledge, as well as healthcare resources. I will take this information and apply it to my skills set while caring for these patients. This would greatly improve patients’ outcomes, by involving various groups equally and fervently.
References
L. Baider; Cultural diversity: a family path through terminal illness, Annals of Oncology, Volume 23, Issue suppl_3, 1 April 2012, Pages 62–65, https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mds090
Jun, J. (2018). The Relationship between Nursing Unit Culture and the Use of Evidence-based Practice among Nurses in Hospitals (Doctoral dissertation, New York University).
Wright, K. & Newman-Giger, J. (2016): Revised. California's young Hispanic children with asthma: disparities in health care access and utilization of healthcare services. Hispanic Health Care International, 8(3), 154-64. doi:10.1891/1540 4153.8.3.15
Omilion-Hodges, L. M., Manning, B. L., & Orbe, M. P. (2017). "Context Matters:" An Exploration of Young Adult Social Constructions of Meaning About Death and Dying. Health communication, 1-10.
Askim-Lovseth, M. & Aldana, A. (2018): Revised. Looking beyond affordable healthcare: Cultural understanding and sensitivity – Necessities in addressing the healthcare disparities of the U.S. Hispanic population. Health Marketing Quarterly, 27, 354-387.
Brooten, D., Youngblut, J. M., Charles, D., Roche, R., Hidalgo, I., & Malkawi, F. (2016). Death rituals reported by White, Black, and Hispanic parents following the ICU death of an infant or child. Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families, 31(2), 132- 140.