Some things I expected to learn about the Hispanic/Latin culture going into this week's research was that the people of this culture are very hard working, family centered, and giving.  I grew up with a lot of Latin friends and this is exactly how they were.  I am sure there are some who deviate as with any culture, but it has always been my experience that Latin people are kind, caring, and willing to help in whatever way they can.  I expected that in my research I would find the same trends.

My research revealed all the things I had expected and more.  I learned the traditions of the quinceanera and the significance of them.  I learned about the Day of the Dead and how Hispanic/Latin cultures take two days to remember their dead and celebrate their lives.  I learned how they approach death and grief for those who have passed on, about how it is seen as respect for their loved one to grieve.  I also learned that family is such a big presence in their lives that when it comes to choices about medical care, it is the family's decision and not the individuals that will be followed.

Knowing that the family members of a Hispanic/Latin person are the ones to make decisions on his or her behalf whether it is what the person wants or not makes me realize I need to consider my own beliefs and if I am okay with that.  In a hospital setting, we advocate for the patient and their desires.  I believe in full autonomy.  Knowing this cultural difference is difficult for me.  I will have to be prepared for this situation if it ever arises, which I am sure it will.  I will have to understand this is important for their culture and respect their wishes while still insuring my patient is understood and receiving the best care I can give.

I love Hispanic/Latin people and their culture and traditions so much.  I grew up with many friends from all over Latin America.  They embraced me so fully just like I learned they always would.  I am a dancer and it was my pleasure to be taught by them about their music and dances.  It was a privilege to eat their meals with them and attend their parties and religious services.  This is by far one of my favorite cultures and people.  I will always carry a great love and deep respect for Hispanic/Latin people, their traditions and beliefs, and their obstinate ability to be kind and hardworking.

The Muslim culture is what we researched this week for our transcultural nursing class.  I have to admit I had some premature misconceptions of the Muslim culture and faith based off of extremist actions in the news and in popular conversation.  It is easy to form assumptions and beliefs about another culture or faith because you do not understand it.  That was the case for me before I actually looked into what Muslims believe.  I had expected to learn more of what I had heard in the news and heard in conversing with others.  I didn't.

What I actually learned was that, while there are radicals that end up in the news for doing horrible things, most Muslims live in peace and try to follow their faith and teachings from God just like most of us do.  There are radicals in every culture and faith.  I learned that Muslims actually do believe in God (I had not realized this before) and hold many beliefs I do as a Christian.  They have many of the same scriptures and commandments.  While they do have different gender roles and customs according to dress than I do, I learned that it is not to shame women or degrade them.  They hold their guidelines out of respect and a desire to protect women.  

Another thing I learned about was how Muslims feel about death.  It is a natural part of life for them and is not taboo or feared.  They respect their dead just as their living and want them to have a proper burial soon after death.  They believe that the dead can perceive pain.  They do not want their dead to feel pain, and, because of this and the delay it can cause in burial, they usually forgo an autopsy.  I learned the guidelines for placement of a deceased Muslim and the care that is given to each person who has passed on.

I am glad that I was able to learn about the muslim belief in the sanctity of life and their concept of death.  I will make sure that if I am ever in the position to provide care for a Muslim, I will ensure they know how much I want to protect that life and keep them well.  I will also follow the instructions given to Muslims about preparing their dead for burial if I am ever in that situation.  I believe that is how every person who has died should be treated.  

I still have some misgivings about the inequality for Muslim girls in education and other areas in some Islamic countries, but many of the assumptions I held I know are wrong.  I cannot base my attitude toward someone based off secondhand reports from another country or by the behavior of a small group of extremists.  It would be easy to be lazy and hate someone who does something wrong in the name of a much larger group, but I do not want to do that.  I will take the opportunity to get to know each individual Muslim who I cross paths with or have the possibility to care for for who they are and not by the actions of someone else who did something out of hate.  I am excited for the occasion!

This week in Transcultural Nursing we researched the Catholic culture.  I expected to learn about the traditional religious ceremonies and beliefs they have.  I did learn a little more about these things, but I did not seek that out specifically.  I tried to focus my efforts for research in a different area.  I wanted to learn more about the history of the Catholic church since it is one of the oldest Christian churches in existence.

From this research I learned that the Catholic church is the church that emerged after the death of Jesus Christ.  They believe that the mantle of the church passed from Christ to Peter, who is considered the first pope.  From Peter, the line of popes has been an uninterrupted chain all the way till present day.  People from the Roman Catholic Church believe that the current pope possesses all the same authority and power that Christ gave to Peter.

I think the best way to utilize what I have learned this week is to simply recognize another's beliefs and respect them for it.  They are not my beliefs, but someone else does believe in this and I need to be considerate of that.  We need to establish relationships of trust with our patients, and that cannot be achieved if they feel we have contempt for them or disregard their beliefs and feelings in anyway.

I find the Catholic culture very fascinating.  They have such a rich history and every simple thing they do has meaning and significance.  I appreciate the value they place in performing things perfectly.  I would love to learn more about how their current religious traditions came to be and possibly go and view them myself.

This week we researched the homeless population and the associated culture.  I was hoping to learn a little more about their social construct and if there is some kind of hierarchy among them.  I expected to learn about their healthcare needs as there are many of them and a lot of research goes into this specific area.  I wanted to delve a little deeper and find other research besides just the homeless population's need for healthcare and the risks they have.

I ended up learning that men are at greater risk for homelessness because they are less likely to ask for help if they are in financial trouble.  It is also harder for them to ask for help to get out of their situation when they become homeless.  Men are taught to be masculine, strong, and self-sufficient.  Homeless men are no different.  I also learned that men who restrict themselves to these gender roles are more prone to maladaptive behaviors such as addiction and violence against women.

I think it is important to ask what help a homeless person needs.  We know they need help, but we need to ask specifically instead of with yes or no questions.  I think it is also important to establish a relationship of trust so the homeless person feels comfortable addressing their issues and asking for help.  I am sure it is difficult to talk about for some people in these circumstances, but letting them know you are not their to judge them and only want to help them the best you can will allow them to open up and promote better care.

I think the homeless culture is a tough one to deal with, but it is worth it if we give the time.  It is a problem that is not going away.  Many people are unwilling to help and are more often annoyed by homeless people.  But if we take a moment and really look at them as people who fell on hard times and just need a little help, we can make a big difference in at least one person's life.