Death and dying are universal events that are sighted in various ways across cultural boundaries. This paper will explore the cultural variations related to death and dying guidelines associated with African American culture. It will compare the beliefs and practices of the African American culture to those of the author and examine the behaviors and responsibilities that the values play nursing career. Finally, it will discuss how nurses will incorporate the knowledge gained through this assignment into future practices.
The African American philosophy has unique beliefs and practices related to death and dying. According to a National Institute of Health study, people with such a culture are highly likely to believe in an afterlife where death is considered a regular aspect of life (Barrett, 2020). They are also highly likely to sight death as a transition to a better place rather than an end. In addition, the majority view death as a spiritual experience where they believe the deceased will be reunited with their loved ones in the afterlife.
Some people’s attitudes and behaviors about dying and death are more secular. They view death as an end rather than a transition and do not believe in an afterlife (Krikorian et al., 2020). They sight death as a natural part of life but do not view it as a spiritual experience.
However, regarding culturally desired responsibilities and behaviors of health care professionals, notably nurses, there are several vital points to consider. Firstly, African Americans are highly likely to view death as a spiritual experience and believe that the deceased will unite with their loved ones in the afterlife. As such, nurses should be sensitive to the spiritual demands of their inmate and their families. Krikorian et al. (2020) state that death is a transition to a better place rather than and, therefore, nursemaids should be prepared to provide appropriate support to the patients and their families during the dying process.
The knowledge gained through this assignment incorporates future nursing practice in several ways. Firstly, by being aware of the spiritual requirements of patients who are African Americans and their families and being better prepared to provide emotional support during the dying process (Sutherland, 2019). Secondly, they will have enough knowledge of cultural beliefs and practices related to death and dying and be better prepared to provide solace and certainty to their sufferers’ families during the dying process. Finally, intending to understand the roles and practices of health care workers, particularly nurses, opt to be better prepared to provide culturally competent care to these cultural patients and their families.
In conclusion, the knowledge gained through this assignment provides nurses with an understanding of the African American culture’s beliefs and practices related to death and dying. Nurses can use this information to incorporate culturally competent care into their future practices. They are prepared to provide emotional support and solace to the patients and their families during the dying process. Furthermore, they become aware of the roles and responsibilities of health care professionals, particularly nurses, and be better equipped to provide culturally sensitive care to African Americans and their families who are going through the dying period.
References
Barrett, R. K. (2020). Psychocultural influences on African-American attitudes towards death, dying, and funeral rites. In Personal care in an impersonal world: A multidimensional look at bereavement (pp. 213-230). Routledge.
Krikorian, A., Maldonado, C., & Pastrana, T. (2020). Patient’s perspectives on the notion of a good death: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of pain and symptom management, 59(1), 152-164.
Sutherland, R. (2019). Focus: death: dying well-informed: the need for better clinical education surrounding facilitating end-of-life conversations. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 92(4), 757.
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