Transcultural nursing: principles and practice

CAM Therapy:

According to the findings of the National Health Interview Survey in 2007, many Americans i.e. 38% of adults tend to use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in their efforts to be healthy and promote their well-being ("What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?" 2012). One of the major types of complementary and alternative medicine is natural products that incorporate the use of various herbal medicines or botanicals, minerals, vitamins, and other natural items. While this CAM therapy also includes probiotics, most of the natural products are sold over the counter as dietary supplements. Probiotics are live microorganisms or bacteria that are akin to microbes usually found in the human digestive tract that have beneficial impacts. The origin of this CAM therapy can be traced back to the first attempts by people to use botanical medicines to enhance the human condition. In 1991, during the prehistoric ice man, one of the personal effects found in the Italian Alps was medicinal herbs.

While the use of natural products has become very popular in America, patients considering using this CAM therapy should discuss the decision with their nurse of physician and seek for information regarding the therapy. This is an important step because the therapy may interfere with standard treatment or be detrimental when incorporated with traditional medicine. However, the use of natural products in treatment of health issues is usually surrounded with concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of the practices. Therefore, the nursing implications for patient assessment for this CAM therapy involve addressing the myths and concerns associated with the effectiveness and safety of natural products. Health care providers should include the issue of natural products as part of patient assessment because many patients use the therapy without informing their physicians or nurses. Such discussions would help to ensure a personalized effective and secure integrative health care plan.

Religious/Spiritual Organization:

Religion or spirituality is a major concept that has significant impacts on the physical and mental health of individuals. As a result of this impact, religious or spiritual organizations adopt various health beliefs that govern the well-being of their members. For instance, spirituality helps religious individuals to demonstrate less destructive behaviors like smoking, minimum stress, and improved satisfaction in life. An example of such organizations is Jews for Jesus, which has an estimated number of nearly 125,000 members across the globe. The organization is founded on three major core values i.e. being under God's Word and authority, honoring the Messiah, and relying on the Holy Spirit.

The other major tenet of this spiritual organization is that it focuses on Jewish evangelism, which is a Jewish mission that involves sharing Christ with the unsaved ("Core Values," 2011). One of the health beliefs of this organization is that physical health is needed for the spiritual well-being of an individual and to carry out the activities of spreading the message of Messiahship of Jesus. Secondly, Jews for Jesus believe in seeking for medical intervention for physical and mental health illnesses.