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Tachycardia Care Essay

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The patient is a sixty-seven-year-old Somali female, whom will be referred to as Jane. Jane initially presented to the emergency room with shortness of breath, fever, tachycardia, and a persistent cough. She has a history of tachycardia and asthma. The goal for the treatment of this patient was to rule out avian flu, and to manage her tachycardia and asthma. This paper will serve as a guide for providing culturally relevant care for a Somali patient. This includes, history of the group in the United States and common health problems. This investigation will also include common beliefs, values, nutritional considerations, and common communication patterns.
Brief History of the Affiliated Group in the United States Somali immigrants first …show more content…

They strongly adhere to the laws and teachings of Islam, and because they are a more recently arrived population, Somalis preserve many of their traditional social and cultural norms (CultureVision, 2016f). Their belief in Islam means that Allah is the ultimate decision maker. Muslims often view illness as atonement for sins, and cope with illness using patience and prayer. Despite their beliefs, they are encouraged to seek treatment for illnesses, but typically only will for acute illnesses (Culture Vision, 2016a). Other important beliefs include modesty, especially for females, preference for the right hand because the left hand is seen as unclean, and allowing time for uninterrupted daily prayer. Cleanliness should always be a priority (CultureVision, 2016h). When providing care to a Somali patient it is important to match the gender of the patient with gender of the caregiver whenever possible. In this case, the patient would be receiving care from female healthcare providers. If available, gowns should cover the patient to the ankles and to the wrist, and unnecessary exposure of the body and physical contact should be minimized. Before body parts are uncovered the patient should be asked and given the opportunity to move the garment themselves. Additionally, the head and hair of the patient should remain untouched unless it is required for examination. When feeding the patient or administering medications the right hand should be used (CultureVision,

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