African American Care

Nurses General Nursing

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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 Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
Maybe those who did it are too old now. Eating dirt and/or cornstarch is supposed to be a remedy for morning sickness.

Oh NOW you tell me! Where you 14 and 7 years ago? ;)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
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.

Okay. I know a lot of people from Haiti and the Caribbean who do not fit this description but like I said before I do not doubt your experience. There's no right and wrong in this.

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.

Yes, I am well aware that some Blacks have a problem with the African-American designation.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Yes, I am well aware that some Blacks have a problem with the African-American designation.

What is an appropriate designation?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
What is an appropriate designation?
An appropriate designation is whatever the individual person prefers.

Better yet, I like to be designated by my first name. ;)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
What is an appropriate designation?

Mr. ______

Mrs.______

Miss______

Ms._______

Also, sir, ma'am are pretty good. Personally I like "pretty lady".

Sorry I'm not trying to be flippant but there is no one answer to that. Some people get really touchy about it; I do not.

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Specializes in ICU.

Aboriginal Australians will not make eye contact until and unless they both know and trust you.

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A sweet little lady from Haiti just about made me crazy. Her bath water had to be put in the dirt of a potted tree her family had brought in. Any hair from brushing her hair had to be burned. She had things tied in cloth bags and tied to her limbs and around her neck. I don't know what was in there but she was frightened to have them removed.

I don't think her family believed the same. She was terrified someone could use skin cells, hair, or nail clippings to harm her. She believed her illness was the result of a spell of some sort.

Think of how great it is that we nurses try to learn the best approach to effectively care for people with so many varied beliefs.

What a wonderful profession!

PS: I never thought to eat starch for morning sickness because MY grandma told me to eat dry ssoda crackers.

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I can't speak for the States, but in Canada, there is no one 'black community'! What the papers refer to as the 'black community' is almost as diverse as the 'white community' and encompasses blacks from the U.S., the Carribean (large Jamaican population here) and Africa (mainly Ethiopian and Nigerian.) To make any generalizations or assumptions about a patient based on skin colour, without being aware of their actual cultural and ethnic background will have the nurse treading on thin ice indeed! Just to give one example: many of the blacks who have immigrated from Ethiopia are Muslims. They will not eat pork, and will not allow a male nurse to give personal care to a female. They also would prefer that female nurses not give personal care for men, but given the very large number of women in nursing, that's difficult, if not impossible. Nurses need to be aware of this, though, and minimize exposure of the patient's body. It helps to have a male family member present, and the nurse may want to ask the family member to help with bathing. If they are dying, they will prefer to do so at home, so their head can face towards Mecca.

I once had to catheterize a devout Muslim who was dying of cancer, at home. All women left the room, and the sons drew curtains around the bed. I asked them to assist me, by washing the genitals, and retracting the foreskin. I think this helped lessen the father's embarrassment at being seen naked by a female other than his wife.

Gwenith, interestingly enough, North American Indians are the same way about eye contact!

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What is an appropriate designation?

I watched a TV newscaster call a black woman from England an "African-American". She had a very heavy English accent. I was waiting for her to correct him but she didn't.

I think a lot of white people under the age of 30 think that "black" is an offensive term.

I think that the newscaster could have said "of African desent". (The story had to do with race, which is why he needed to mention it at all)

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Political Correctness sticks in my craw, but I'm not under the age of 30, and when I was growing up, black/Black WAS the acceptable term. I have a hard time referring to people whose families have been living in America since long before the time of the Civil War as 'African' Americans. Might just as well call me an Irish-Canadian, even though my family immigrated here before the potato famine! (Very early 1800's)

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Political Correctness sticks in my craw, but I'm not under the age of 30, and when I was growing up, black/Black WAS the acceptable term. I have a hard time referring to people whose families have been living in America since long before the time of the Civil War as 'African' Americans. Might just as well call me an Irish-Canadian, even though my family immigrated here before the potato famine! (Very early 1800's)

I know what you mean. Just trying to be PC.

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Specializes in Med/Surge.
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!

Which school are you attending? I just graduated last May from a NS in East Texas where we had to do the same thing...............just curious!!

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