Through the Eyes of the Patient and the Healthcare Professional

Case Study: Through the Eyes of the Patient and the Healthcare Professional
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Through the Eyes of the Patient and the Healthcare Professional
The loss of a loved one, commonly known as death, is a very agonizing and traumatizing experience. It affects both the patients and those who are close to the patient, or in essence, taking care of the patient. Death affects everybody involved financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and physically. Cultural and religious beliefs have been found to be fundamental sources of help as they give strength to those dealing with dying and death experiences. It is through such scenarios that health care professionals have been confronted with different beliefs and practices regarding dying and death. An effective health care professional identifies the importance of understanding different cultural practices, and learns how to examine death, dying, and spiritual beliefs and practices across the different cultures (Stewart, 2012). There is need for health care professionals to be careful when caring for patients from different cultures. Being aware of a patient’s beliefs can help eliminate the negative judgment that he/she is likely to pass based on different personal beliefs; this is because their perceptions can easily affect the patient’s inclination and conduct. Passing wrong judgment can occur when one has not taken time to learn the other’s cultural values and beliefs. What a patient believes can lay down the health care practices to be provided for him/her. Therefore, it is necessary that the healthcare workers are aware of different cultural practices, so that they can be effective while handling the patients. In the case study of Abby’s dying rituals, a number of cultural challenges have been presented. Accordingly, this paper presents care plan giving a detailed report about the cultural practices of the Native Indian patients and how one can approach the situation as presented in the case study.
Communication: Family and Patient
The native Indians revere nature, and death being part of nature, hence, there were preparations made for the dying people. Death is believed to be a journey to another world. The Indian cultural rite aims at helping the deceased to be comfortable in his/ her afterlife. It also focuses on protecting them in the afterlife. Important items and food, or other custodies that belong to the dead or the dying are placed near. Examples are jewelry, tools, or pots. Placing such treasures close to them is a symbol that even if they become deceased, they exist in their hearts (Stewart, 2012).
In regard to the case study, Abby’s family wanted to prepare her body for her death, and for this reason, they sought for a private room from the nurses. This practice is in regard to the Ojibwa culture. In the private room, certain rituals are performed, and this gives peace and at the same time gives reality and finally Abby’s joyful death (Stewart, 2012). This portrays the importance of family participation during the final journey of a loved one. From the above explanation, it is clear that care plan for the patients of the Indian natives needs to create room for family members of the deceased to perform death rituals that represent care and concern to the dead.
Permitting space and room for the patients and their families to perform the rituals is essential. However, they should not interfere with the daily hospital routines. In reference to the case study, it is shown that for the Indian culture, the private room was cleansed with sweet grass and sage in preparation for the final journey (Walsh et al., 2011). The patient is also washed with cedar, and tobacco offering is made. In preparation for Abby’s death, her whole family accompanies her. This is important to her and results to her joyful death. This shows the importance of family members and the ritual processes they conduct. They both help calm the patients and give them an assurance that they are not alone.
Indians, overtime, have historically believed that the loss of freedom to express themselves in their various traditional ways is an inequitable oppression (Evison, 2009). Health care providers should therefore give room for cultural practices, as this is essential when coming up with care plans. This is because, it becomes an opportune time that families come together to get involved in the traditional customs. The case study portrays some arguments before Abby’s family comes to a solid agreement. The disagreements grow out of how best the last respect can be accorded to her. This therefore exhibits the need to develop harmonious and mutually amenable goals amid patients, the relatives or loved ones, and the health care workers.
Treatment Options That Align With a Specific Culture
According to the native Indian tradition, life continues after death. For them therefore, the spiritual world is in existence (Evison, 2009). They have a strong and common belief that various things in the world generally are amalgamated with life. Like from the case study, there were options such as giving Abby IV feeding or any other drug intervention. However, she did not need them because death is an important and critical journey to make.
Indian traditions believe there is another life after death (Evison, 2009). Therefore, health care professionals should make sure they meet the spiritual needs of the patient. Every other thing done by the patient’s loved ones has a spiritual meaning. As seen in the case study, activities such as singing and speaking in intuitive language as a consolation to the ailed during her final journey to the spiritual world. These are some of the important traditional practices across different cultures. Practices such as the sacrifice of wives, slaves, and giving a favorite horse of a dead warrior are common among many cultures. This shows life as an interconnected thread that begins from life, to the spiritual world through to eternity.
Education: Family and Patient
In collective cultures, the good of the individual is in most cases so entangled with the good of the loved ones or ally, or in-group, that family members have a greater say in healthcare decisions than the patient does in a series of circumstances. Health care professionals should look for well...