Reaction to the article, Culturally competent health care: a challenge for nurses

in Saudi Arabia.
Based from the article that I have read, the issue about transcultural nursing was
always a topic in different aspects of the world we are living. It was also the other way
around when nurses apply to themselves how to cope up in a different culture when it
comes to taking care different patients perspective about their health beliefs. From what
Ive read about it, Transcultural nursing is a major component of a professional nurse
practice model which provides a visionary perspective for nursing care. Within the
practice model, transcultural care principles are used to guide education, clinical
practice and nursing research. Not only are nurses delivering care to culturally diverse
clients, the nurses themselves may come from different cultural and educational
backgrounds. In order to provide culturally competent health care, such diversity must
be molded into professional collaboration and respect. Madeleine Leininger's
transcultural health care theory was based in conducting this study, it was proved that
there would always be strategies or even techniques aimed at continuing to render care
to Arabians even there is a gap in culture.
From what had my interest on this article, was that it focused on the nurses or
the culturally competent nurses to face a challenge in a different environment or culture.
In the study, different races of nurses in Saudi Arabia were observed who would have
the most effective strategy in giving nursing care. For as an aspiring nurse, there would
come a day that we would be also in this kinds of situations, where we would also be in
the concept of transcultural nursing once we head to the overseas to practice our
profession. This article helped me a lot to have a better understanding not just in
transcultural nursing, but in giving respect to beliefs of every client as well.

Reaction to the article, Cultural aspects of primary healthcare in India: A casebased analysis.
The thing that interested me in this article was that the health beliefs and
practices of India was that it was numerous and was based from its origin and their
religion. India is a country with a diverse range of cultures, ethnicities, religions and
languages. The reason also why I decided to choose Indias culture was that it is
different from other cultures when it comes to practicing their beliefs that is related to
healthcare. From its issue where the source of richness and strength, cultural influences
sometimes could also give rise to challenges in the context of managing commonly
presenting illnesses, where it would also affect the rendering of proper medical
treatment in those patients who are culturally-bound. I even discovered that it could be a
reason or could be a gap in giving proper care for it is different from what they believe
in. For instance, there was a case in the article that a patient was experiencing anxiety
and other symptoms such as shortness of breath. The patient and her family believed
that she was accompanied by a shift in consciousness whereby 'ancestral spirits'
appear to take control over her body and personal identity. She and her family refused
to have psychiatric help for they believe that this was only a spirit that was trying to
deliver a message, still the members of the healthcare team did the same thing, they
respected the patients decision but the care of the patient never subsided.
We nurses should always keep in mind that not all the patients and the
experiences that we will encounter have different cultures, religions and even
demographic profile. It is always important to respect the rights to live in accordance
with established cultural tradition and social norms. We should also have empathy for
we should envisioned ourselves that we have different cultures and also to ensure the
optimal care rendered to every patients.