Cultural Perspective In Health Care

Having spent the greater part of my life in an African culture--where issues about dying or death were shrewd in secrecy, treated as sacred, and almost never freely discussed, I sometimes criticize this part of our culture. It is a shame that in some parts of Africa, religious leaders are considered “experts” in palliative care and are given much more freedom than qualified healthcare professionals to discuss end of life issues with patients and their families. Some people pay a huge sum of money to have these clerics visit their dying relatives at home. Throughout the years I worked as a healthcare provider in Nigeria, I never used an advanced directive in the care of patients. After relocating to the United States some years ago, I came across …show more content…
I guess my fear stemmed out from my cultural background which to date still exerts its influences on me to a certain degree. I subdued this anxiety by thinking about the opportunity that I have through an advanced directive to clearly spell out my healthcare wishes and preferences in case I become incapacitated for whatever reasons. I cherish the opportunity to talk about my current and future medical care and carry the content of these conversations as I move across health care settings. More importantly, I love to receive care that is consistent with my …show more content…
I am aware that I am still evolving as a person, therefore my healthcare preferences are bound to change from time to time. Also, I believe in the quality of care that leads to improvement in the outcome of my ailment rather than a mere prolongation of my life without any added quality. For instance, I will agree to a medical intervention that adds quality to my life, even if it is invasive and inconsistent with my belief. However, I will decline non-invasive medical intervention that is consistent with my belief, but lacks the inherent potential of adding quality to my