Culture Exploration

NUR 401-Career Pathway Assessment

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to develop in the learner an awareness of the health
beliefs/practices of a culture different than their own.
Approach to the Assignment
I decided to choose to explore literature and data on the country of India. I have always wished
to visit and complete a medical mission trip there. I have worked with several patients who are
from this country and culturally it has been a challenge to deal with. I wanted to further discover
this culture and identify possible barriers to healthcare.
Reason for Inclusion
This assignment was an assignment that required researching skills, cultural awareness, use of
technology and the application of knowledge to address current health problems within the
population of India.
Critical Thinking
Engages in creative problem solving
This assignment forced me to think outside the box in order to find all the necessary information
for this project. Because India has so many religious origins, finding relevant information for the
country population as a whole became difficult and I needed to use various resources, including
local digital copies of newspapers, research literature, and the conversion of documents into
English.

Communication
Accesses and utilizes data and information from a wide range of sources to enhance patient and
professional communication

Please see above. This assignment required constant communication and feedback from peers
and my professor.

Teaching
Uses information technologies and other appropriate methods to enhance ones own knowledge
base
I needed to use various resources, including local digital copies of newspapers, research
literature, Indian government resources and the conversion of Indian documents into English. I
contacted ODU library staff to obtain suggestions to locate resources I may not have thought to
use.
Uses information technologies and other appropriate methods to communicate health promotion,

risk reduction, and disease prevention across the lifespan.

This assignment used a graphing sheet of information to share and communicate with peers. Part
of the cultural exploration assignment was to evaluate how culture and religious beliefs affected
the health of the population. This chart was a tool that aided in breaking this information down
into simpler and concrete material.
Research
Applies research-based knowledge from the arts, humanities and sciences to complement nursing
practice
This assignment allowed the integration of culture, lifestyle, economic, religious beliefs and
health science to paint an overall picture of life and health in India and the factors affecting the
health of the population.
Culture
Demonstrates sensitivity to personal and cultural definitions of health, and how these beliefs
influence an individuals reactions to the illness experience and end of life
Religious, social and cultural aspects of India directly affect the health of the population, to
include sexual diseases, teen pregnancy and many diseases such as hypertension, obesity and
heart issues. The acceptance of cultural norms for these people guides their daily lives and health.
Women are looked down upon in this culture. Therefore, do not receive the same restorative
measures or healthcare as the male population.
Maintain and awareness of global environmental factors that may influence the diversity of
health care services
Major environmental issues are forest and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion
(water, mineral, forest, sand, rocks, etc.), environmental degradation, public health, loss of
biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor. These factors
limits healthcare by placing significance on survival (normal meals, housing) rather than
managing an acute illness.