I believe that being aware of the numerous cultural diversities in the United States; will make me a better nurse. I believe that this experience has taught me to become more aware of the difficulties health care professionals have to overcome when a patient is from a different culture. The barriers that can arise in a simple task that a nurse needs to perform on patient who has a different view or religious belief, can be complicated. Some of the facts that I did not know about the Alabama Coushatta Indian tribe, were they are originally two different tribes, as well as the diversity with in the area they live in. I believe this ACE experience has given me the tools to be more open minded about wanting to learn different aspects of the many cultures we as nurses come into contact with just on a daily basis. I am more aware of just how a cultural assessment can make a difference when treating, diagnosing and medicating a patient. This experience has also given me more insight to the diversity within a specific Indian tribe, like the different attire each tribe members wore that according to their geographical areas and the fact that each dance had a different meaning. The costumes intricate detail and the meaning behind the eagle feather and how sacred they were to the tribal members. This experience has definitely prepared me to be more aware of my body language. I feel I gained the knowledge that some cultures view different actions such as looking directly into and individual’s eyes for an extended amount of time can be perceived as disrespectful, aggressive or even cause distress on a patient. Furthermore, knowing just a small characteristic of an individual’s culture can make them feel more comfortable with you as a nurse. The most important fact is that ultimately we as nurses are here to insure patient safety and while some cultures may have certain customs and practices; their wellbeing and safety come first. Did the ACE experience affect your attitude toward being involved in your community in the future? Yes, this experience did affect my attitude, while I have volunteered for many community activities throughout my life; I never stopped to think that volunteering in a culturally themed event could give me …show more content…
This can give you a variety of aspects to observe and engage in while being of service to a specific cause. Many people that volunteer are part of the diverse culture you may be interested in and are willing to explain and give you more insight to cultural issues they are facing. Volunteering can also open doors to a culture that may be more discrete about their practices. This event has also made me very aware that just because a culture looks similar, have similar customs and geographical location; that they have the same beliefs. Moreover, this experience has taught me to not assume or make assumptions about someone’s beliefs, religion, customs, appearance or health care choices. Understanding that cultural diversities need to be part of a patient’s plan care and can affect the outcome of a patients health is a key point to understand. Many of these community events that are culturally themed may be the only time an outsider gets to see a certain custom a culture may