African American Care

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Received an assignment today to report on African American health beliefs and practices as they relate to patient care. Anyone have any thoughts on resources or how to provide culturally competent care ?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Specializes in Cardiac.

I was a little concerned that the subject of providing "culturally competent" care might lead to the notion of stereotyping. It is not my intention to promote such thought. Perhaps sensitivity is what is required.

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Specializes in Psychiatric & Critical Care.

That was just my two cents. Besides, stereotyping is different from generalizing. With generalizing you take the info and put it to good use by trying to use it as a base of information to build off of. I think it's just important for people to start off with an open mind when dealing with anyone and let your knowledge of their culture and that person's actions guide your actions and reactions toward them. Some people have all of those characteristics and some don't and that is what you should always keep in mind. :)

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Specializes in Cardiac.
That was just my two cents. Besides, stereotyping is different from generalizing. With generalizing you take the info and put it to good use by trying to use it as a base of information to build off of. I think it's just important for people to start off with an open mind when dealing with anyone and let your knowledge of their culture and that person's actions guide your actions and reactions toward them. Some people have all of those characteristics and some don't and that is what you should always keep in mind. :)

Well said. Thanks for your perspective.

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Specializes in RNC in OB and experience in Peds.
I think that it is also important to remember that although some of the things listed may be true for some people, they are just generalizations. Most African Americans are born and raised in the U.S. and so some of those generalizations are just the not true, in fact the opposite may be true.
I agree with you completely (I am also Black-American).

And this was stated in a previous post but...I've never encountered another Black-American family that confided in a witch doctor :confused:

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[color=darkslategray]you may want to look at the work of one of the professors (where i work) who had done significant research on skin breakdown in the minority geriatric population. his name is courtney lyder and here are some websites of various lectures he has given.

http://nursing.unc.edu/departments/oma/events.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3977/is_200103/ai_n8941149

http://community.nursingspectrum.com/magazinearticles/article.cfm?aid=13666

good luck, and happy hunting!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Ms. Joseph and Ebony already stated it very well. The direct eye contact and witch doctor thing is completely new to me too. However, I have no doubt that may have been Commuter's experience.

I was told in one of my classes recently that rural Blacks in the South often eat dirt; it's in our culture??? This was news to me also as I, having been raised in the rural South have never participated in this ritual nor have I observed or known anyone who has done it. So beware of what you read.

As a healthcare consumer, the only thing I can add is that you should be careful that in your efforts to be "culturally sensitive" you are not conscending. I see that mistake made sometimes. Good luck on your paper!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Thank all of you for your contributions. The resources and advice are all received with gratitude. Thank you also for your personal comments and advice. They are received with humility.

I knew this was the right place pose my question.

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i've dealt w/sev'l haitians that avoided eye contact, were highly superstitious re: voo doo and talked of witch doctors. perhaps it is the haitian black population that commuter is referring to?

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Ms. Joseph and Ebony already stated it very well. The direct eye contact and witch doctor thing is completely new to me too. However, I have no doubt that may have been Commuter's experience.

I was told in one of my classes recently that rural Blacks in the South often eat dirt; it's in our culture??? This was news to me also as I, having been raised in the rural South have never participated in this ritual nor have I observed or known anyone who has done it. So beware of what you read.

As a healthcare consumer, the only thing I can add is that you should be careful that in your efforts to be "culturally sensitive" you are not conscending. I see that mistake made sometimes. Good luck on your paper!

Maybe those who did it are too old now. Eating dirt and/or cornstarch is supposed to be a remedy for morning sickness. A sister in law used to eat starch with a spoon from the box.

Could be the generation that did this is past reproductive age.

PS: Everyone I ever met who did this was from Mississippi or their mother was.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I agree with you completely (I am also Black-American).

And this was stated in a previous post but...I've never encountered another Black-American family that confided in a witch doctor :confused:

But black Caribbean families and islanders who reside in the U.S. often confide in witch doctors.
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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
i've dealt w/sev'l haitians that avoided eye contact, were highly superstitious re: voo doo and talked of witch doctors. perhaps it is the haitian black population that commuter is referring to?
It's Haitain-Americans, islanders, black Caribbean people, and other blacks that I am referring to.
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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Ms. Joseph and Ebony already stated it very well. The direct eye contact and witch doctor thing is completely new to me too. However, I have no doubt that may have been Commuter's experience.
I am basing my statements on a mixture of things. First of all, I am black. Additionally, all of my nursing textbooks have stated that certain groups of blacks in America (Haitains, Caribbeans, Islanders) will avoid eye contact and consult with witch doctors prior to seeking Westernized health care.

Sorry, but not all blacks in America are so-called 'African-Americans'. There's a significant population of other nationalities who happen to be black. I'll continue to stand by my declarations, too.

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