Writting paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Writting paper - Essay Example It is in this regard that this essay aims to present what the concept of culture is. Further, this paper would delve into the influence of this concept to perceptions of health and illness in the health care profession. Finally, a determination of the importance of understanding culture when planning health care would also be identified. Delaune and Ladner (388) in their book on Fundamentals of Nursing defined culture as â€Å"knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, customs, languages, symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people†. Simple folks ordinarily know culture as a way of life. the roles and responsibilities of nursing evolving continuously, a conceptual framework to better understand the effects of cultures on health care was developed by Dr. Madeleine Leininger in her transcultural nursing theory. Dr. Leininger stated Culturally competent care can only occur when culture care values are known and serve as the foundation for meaningful care.† The assumptions incorporated in this theory are: (1) every culture has some kind of system for health care that is based on values and behavior of people; and (2) cultures have certain methods for providing health care often unknown to nurses from other cultures. (Delaune and Ladner 403) The relevance of understanding the concept of diversity in culture is of utmost importance to the nursing profession due to the different profiles of patients they administer health care to. Profiles of patients are incorporated in the culture of their specific countries. Their expectations to the delivery of patient care also depend on the orientations they are accustomed to in their respective countries. Delaune and Ladner (389) presented distinct characteristics of culture which exist among cultural groups and among individuals within a single culture, to wit: (1) culture is learned and taught; (2) culture is