Anglo-American

Culture

The United States is the world's

fourth largest country, with an
area of 3,679,192 square miles
(9,529,107 square kilometers). It
includes fifty states and one
federal district, where the capital,
Washington, D.C., is located.

Geography

English their official language or

given it exceptional status. More
than 90 percent of the U.S.
population
speaks
and
understands
at
least
some
English,
and
most
official
business is conducted inEnglish.

Language and
Communication

Americans identify
themselves as
Christians. About
half are Protestant,
about one-quarter
are Catholic, and a
small percentage
are Mormon.

Religion

 American cuisine has been influenced

by Europeans and Native Americans
in its early history.
Southern-style cooking is often called
American comfort food and includes
dishes such as fried chicken, collard
greens, black-eyed peas and corn
bread.

American Food

 There are a number of foods that

are commonly identified as
American, such as hamburgers, hot
dogs, potato chips, macaroni and
cheese and meat loaf.

Heart disease
Stroke
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity
Arthritis

Common diseases

Infant Care.Infant care varies

by class. It is common to see
women of Dominican and
West Indian descent caring for
white children. Wealthy
people often employ nannies
to care for infants.

Health Practices and Beliefs

Child Rearing and Education.Child

rearing practices are diverse, but
some common challenges apply to all
families. It is common to put children
in day care programs at an early age.
For wealthy families, this entails
finding the most elite day care
centers; for less wealthy families, it
may involve finding scarce places in
federally-funded
programs.

Death and the Afterlife. Death is

considered a sad and solemn occasion.
At funerals, it is customary to wear
black and to speak in hushed tones.
Graveyards are solemn and quiet
places. Some people believe in an
afterlifeor in reincarnation or other
form of continuity of energy or spirit.

Medicine. The dominant approach

to medicine is biomedical, or
Western. Biomedicine is
characterized by the frequent use
of invasive surgeries such as
cesarean sections and high doses
of psychotropic drugs.

Many Americans use traditional healers and religious

leaders to guide their medical care
Clinicians need to coordinate care with those
healers to increase compliance
In NYC, when caring for Orthodox Jewish patients
Call Rabbi to get permission for C-section
Call Rabbi to get permission for hysterectomy
Rabbi will refer whole congregations to you
Rabbi arranges genetic testing (for matchmaking)

 use of alternative or
traditional practices,
medicines, or healers.
Families may use
these options prior to,
in combination with,
or after seeking
medical care from the
pediatrician.

 Physicians understandably
expect patients to comply
with a predictable and
scheduled appointment
format.

 Establish rapport
Honor cultural practices
Respect patients and familys
beliefs, practices and decisions
Educate patient and family
regarding health
Encourage patient to do the nursing
measures to promote health

Nursing Care

End.