Spirituality in Healthcare Essay

Spirituality in Healthcare Essay

The role of an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) involves caring for adults and elderly individuals experiencing acute or serious health problems (Becker et al., 2020). As part of this role, the AGACNP assesses the health and wellness of a specific patient group to identify potential health issues and implement necessary interventions. To do this, the AGACNP must understand the characteristics and needs of the patient group, including factors such as age, culture, and pre-existing health conditions. Additionally, AGACNP must also understand how patients view chronic disease, health maintenance practices, and cultural and social factors that may influence personal attitudes towards health promotion and maintenance. Understanding the concepts of spirituality and culture would be essential when dealing with minority ethnic populations such as African Americans and Hispanics. This paper addresses the role of AGACNP in assessing the health and wellness of minority populations with chronic disease.

Perspective on Chronic Disease and Wellness.

Compared to other ethnic groups in the US, African Americans have a different view on chronic disease. According to Ellis et al. (2020), chronic diseases are common among African Americans, yet they view them as a normal process of aging and are less likely to take part in health maintenance. Several factors, including lack of access to healthcare resources, discrimination in healthcare, and values and cultural beliefs, influence their views on chronic disease. The concept of resilience in adversity is one of the cultural beliefs and values viewed as a coping mechanism with a chronic disease. Because resilience is highly valued, many African Americans will choose to be resilient rather than seek care. Additionally, the historic discrimination towards Africans with limited access to equal care further causes mistrust and lower satisfaction with care. With limited access to care, most African Americans have limited access to preventive services as well as care for chronic diseases. Furthermore, factors limiting access to healthcare resources, such as lack of insurance coverage, further influence beliefs and values on chronic disease among African Americans. Therefore, AGACNP needs to understand the specific beliefs and attitudes of the patient to promote health and wellness effectively.

Cultural and Spiritual Factors Affecting Health Promotion and Maintenance.

            Various cultural and spiritual factors significantly influence patient and family attitudes toward health promotion and maintenance. Such factors include beliefs, practices, and values specific to a spiritual group or culture. For instance, health belief as one of the cultural factors defines how individuals understand and perceive health and illness as well as health-seeking behaviors and approaches to health maintenance (Kim & Kim, 2020). Additionally, health beliefs also influence the willingness and adherence to specific health promotion and maintenance. According to Kim & Kim (2020), various factors, including experiences, cultural traditions, and values, influence health beliefs across different groups. For example, health decisions may be influenced by either individuals or families as defined by various cultures. Therefore, all healthcare providers, including AGACNP, must understand a patient’s health beliefs and values before coming up with a care plan and engaging patients in health promotion and maintenance practices. This will help in aligning patient values and preferences during care delivery as well as health promotion.

Besides, spiritual beliefs and practices can also play a vital role in attitudes toward health promotion and maintenance. Some religious beliefs, for example, may forbid certain medical treatments or procedures (Snapp & Hare, 2021). For instance, Mormons may wish to avoid drugs containing caffeine or alcohol, as well as Rastafarians, who may be concerned with the alcohol content of their medications. These beliefs are respected and influence health outcomes and patient satisfaction. As a result, the AGACNP must be sensitive to these beliefs and work with the patient and their family to find a treatment plan that aligns with their values. Furthermore, some spiritual practices, such as prayer or meditation, may be viewed as important for health maintenance and may be incorporated into the patient’s care plan (Snapp & Hare, 2021). For instance, Pentecostal Christians believe in the possibility of miraculous healing over sickness and such patients would wish healthcare providers to join them in prayers. Therefore, it is critical for the AGACNP to be aware of the patient population’s spiritual beliefs and practices and to incorporate these into the care plan as appropriate, as well as reduce anxiety and distress.

Personal Worldview and Health Promotion

Personal worldview also plays a vital role in influencing attitudes toward health promotion and maintenance. A personal worldview comprises a set of beliefs influencing an individual’s perception, thinking, and actions (Woods, 2022). Worldview influences how a person interprets and understands the world, including their attitudes and beliefs about health maintenance. Individual worldviews may be influenced by various factors, including education, experiences, personal values, and cultural and social experiences. Comparatively, personal perspective is influenced by historical inequalities, societal injustices, and discrimination among African Americans. Such experiences shape attitudes and beliefs on health maintenance as well as affect personal satisfaction and willingness to engage in a particular health promotion exercise. For example, individuals whose upbringing emphasizes natural remedies and a holistic approach to health would choose to practice these methods over Western medicine. Comparatively, a personal worldview built on scientific evidence and advanced technology would prioritize modern medical treatments. This is also applicable to AGACNP. Therefore, it is paramount that AGACNPs understand their own biases and focus on providing holistic patient-centered care that addresses patient needs and preferences.

Cultural Bias on Health-Related Preference and Perceptions.

            Cultural bias has a significant influence on health-related preferences and perceptions that AGACNPS should understand. According to Nair and Adetayo (2019), cultural bias refers to how an individual’s cultural background and experiences can influence their perspectives and interpretations of the world, including their views on health and healthcare. This can result in different preferences and perceptions of health-related issues based on cultural beliefs, values, and practices. For example, some cultures may prioritize natural remedies and spirituality in health, while others may prioritize modern medical treatments. These differences can cause misunderstandings and conflicts in the healthcare setting if the healthcare provider is unaware of or does not consider the patient’s cultural beliefs and preferences. Cultural bias can also lead to differences in the importance placed on preventative healthcare and seeking medical attention.  For instance, cultures which emphasize preventive care may be more proactive in seeking medical treatment. Therefore, healthcare providers need to be aware of cultural bias and strive to understand and respect their patient’s cultural beliefs and preferences to provide the best care possible.

Conclusion

            The vital role played by AGACNPs in health assessment and wellness can not be emphasized. AGACNPs must provide holistic care while being mindful of spiritual and cultural beliefs and attitudes, especially when treating patients with chronic conditions, including ethnic minorities. Understanding the cultural and spiritual factors of individuals from various backgrounds helps in the provision of culturally sensitive care that takes account of unique needs and preferences. All healthcare providers, including AGACNP, must be mindful of spiritual and cultural beliefs while caring for different patient populations.

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References

Becker, D., Dechant, L. M., McNamara, L. J., Konick-McMahon, J., Noe, C. A., Thomas, K., & Fabrey, L. J. (2020). Practice analysis: Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist. American Journal of Critical Care: An Official Publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 29(2), e19–e30. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2020918

Ellis, K. R., Hecht, H. K., Young, T. L., Oh, S., Thomas, S., Hoggard, L. S., Ali, Z., Olawale, R., Carthron, D., Corbie-Smith, G., & Eng, E. (2020). Chronic disease among African American families: A systematic scoping review. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17(190431), E167. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.190431

Kim, S., & Kim, S. (2020). Analysis of the impact of health beliefs and resource factors on preventive behaviors against the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 8666. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228666

Nair, L., & Adetayo, O. A. (2019). Cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open, 7(5), e2219. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000002219

Snapp, M., & Hare, L. (2021). The role of spiritual care and healing in health management. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 35(1), 4–8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33513580/

Woods, A. (2022). Applying the principles of health promotion in nursing practice. Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987), 37(4), 40–45. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2022.e11774

Assessment Traits

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Assessment Description

Different cultural groups have unique beliefs and attitudes about health promotion and spirituality. It is important for a nurse practitioner to understand and adapt to those cultural and spiritual beliefs when educating patients.

Write an essay of 750-1,000 words defining the AGACNP role of assessing the health and wellness of a specific patient population. Your essay should include three to five peer-reviewed sources.

A patient population can be a group of patients with the same chronic disease, same ethnicity, from the same community, or any other defined specific group.

Your essay should cover the following:

Establish how the specific patient population views chronic diseases and the maintenance of wellness.
Explain the cultural and spiritual factors that may affect the attitudes of patients and families toward health promotion and maintenance.
Evaluate how your own personal worldview influences your attitudes and beliefs toward health maintenance of this patient population.
Evaluate how cultural bias may result in very different health-related preferences and perceptions.
You are required to cite three to five sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the past 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.