African American Care

[CametoitlateTexan]

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!

[live4today, RN]

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?

Again, think "culture" not "race". :)

[live4today, RN]

But black Caribbean families and islanders who reside in the U.S. often confide in witch doctors.

AGAIN....it's their "CULTURE" not their "race". :)

[live4today, RN]

An appropriate designation is whatever the individual person prefers.

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

NOW we agree! :yeahthat: :icon_hug:

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

This may hold true for yourself, your family, and others you have been around, but I never heard of those six things in all of my 54 years of living...and I consider myself a Black Female.

Actually this stuff can be found in my 2 nursing textbooks in the cultural issues chapters. This stuff does not hold true for me, my relatives, and others I have been around.

[live4today, RN]

aboriginal australians will not make eye contact until and unless they both know and trust you.

culture again.:)

i'm simply reiterating that it is a "culture thing" and not a "race thing" as to why certain people believe certain ways, and do certain things. there are already too many untruths in our world as it is that have many people around the world confused and ignorant as to what is and what isn't. this makes for an excellent educational topic, so glad this thread was started. :)

[CametoitlateTexan]

culture again.:)

i'm simply reiterating that it is a "culture thing" and not a "race thing" as to why certain people believe certain ways, and do certain things. there are already too many untruths in our world as it is that have many people around the world confused and ignorant as to what is and what isn't. this makes for an excellent educational topic, so glad this thread was started. :)

you can be sure, when i submit my report, i will reiterate your point. thanks for your perspective!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Hmmmm....is this how Black people are where you grew up, Commuter???

Nope. My 4 grandparents were from the American South (Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana). Both parents were born in California. I am a native Californian. My mother believes in direct eye contact because, as she says, "The eyes are the windows to an individual's soul."

I was simply typing verbatim the cultural attributes that were listed in my 2 nursing textbooks. And I stand by what I have previously said.

[live4today, RN]

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)

AMEN!!! :)

[kgkarma]

Nope. My 4 grandparents were from the American South (Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana). Both parents were born in California. I am a native Californian. My mother believes in direct eye contact because, as she says, "The eyes are the windows to an individual's soul."

I was simply typing verbatim the cultural attributes that were listed in my 2 nursing textbooks. And I stand by what I have previously said.

I doubt the textbook was written by an African American because it's just plain "bull".

[SinfulCNA27]

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!

******student alert*****i thought eating dirt was pica? is this not true?

sinn

[live4today, RN]

I doubt the textbook was written by an African American because it's just plain "bull".

I second that! :rotfl: As a matter of fact, I would take that textbook directly to the Dept. Head of the College and insist that textbook be taken off the shelves, and newly updated textbooks with more ACCURATE information be purchased. I did this at my college when the information regarding the care of Black patients was soooooooo INACCURATE as far as I was concerned. The very next quarter, the nursing students had all new textbooks with newly updated information that made sense to me. The old ones were taken out of circulation and not used again. So, please go see the Dean of the college, or the Dept Head about what you and many nursing students are being taught that is FALSE information regarding Black patients in this country.

Keep in mind that in caring for ANY race patient....don't ASSUME anything about how to care for them, or what to feed them, etc. ASK...that way a nurse doesn't make a fool out of himself/herself in front of patients, visitors, and other healthcare professionals or ancillary staff members assisting in patient care areas. :)

[SharonH, RN]

It's been my experience, that if someone asked a white American what their nationality is, they'll say something like, "Irish American", if their ancestors are from Ireland. The only true Americans are the American Indians. Everyone else is from some other country. If the "African Americans", had not been enslaved, we would know what African country we were from.

That's what sticks in my craw.

Yeah. One of my best friends is Italian-American, I know this because she proudly tells me and anyone else who will listen although she, her parents and grandparents were born and raised in MILWAUKEE. She proudly tells me of various customs and beliefs she practices because she's Italian, I bet it doesn't stick in anyone's craw when she says that. I have another friend who says that she is of Scotch-Irish descent she thinks and her Daddy puts on a kilt once a year to honor his presumed ancestry but no one cringes at that and says he is being politically correct, in fact I always tease her and offer her a special greeting on St. Paddy's day but when I refer to myself as African-American people get upset. I'm supposed to ignore my ancestry, or better yet pretend it never happened.