Fundamentals of Nursing Q 542
A nurse is caring for a Native American client who experiences emotional distress due to a family problem. In anticipating pharmacological treatment for the client, the nurse understands that they would most likely:
A. Establish the trust of the health care provider first before accepting the treatment.
B. Call a clergy to ask for the religious preference of the treatment.
C. Manage the emotional distress on their own to avoid disgrace.
D. Resort with the use of herbal medicines with healing properties.
Correct Answer: D. Resort with the use of herbal medicines with healing properties.
Native American cultures often use a variety of herbs or other plant and root remedies. Not only were American Indians the first to discover the healing properties of many of the medicinal herbs native to North America that we’ve come to know so well. In an era before antibiotics and knowledge of the causes of infectious diseases, Native American herbal wisdom provided a crucial foundation for the building of a new nation.
Option A: Usually Northern European American people value medicine and primary health care hence already having an established health care provider. Traditional Western medicine, favored by most European Americans in Minnesota, is characterized by methods developed according to medical and scientific traditions and rigorous safety protocols with treatments and medications that must pass a strict review before they can be used for patient care. Western medicine’s greatest strength is in trauma care and therapies for acute problems, such as surgery, medications, chemotherapy, radiation, and physical therapy.
Option B: Latin Americans offer to call clergy because of the significance of religious preference related to any illness. Churches are central to the life of the family and community, hence can be important resources in planning and delivering services. Faith and church remain powerful sources of hope and strength in the Hispanic community, especially in times of sickness.
Option C: Asian American culture views mental illness as shameful and will keep the stress on their own to manage it. Saving face—the ability to preserve the public appearance of the patient and family for the sake of community propriety—is extremely important to most Asian groups. Patients may not be willing to discuss their moods or psychological states because of fears of social stigma and shame.