Cultural Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cultural Diversity - Essay Example The choice of this article is based on the interest in the more or less resilient Hispanic culture as represented even in the culturally dynamic developed countries. Hispanic culture remains stiff in terms of retention of traditional values and is represented in many countries of the world. Hispanic culture is in totality a reflection of Spain, Latin America and most countries in the Central America let alone being represented in large numbers in the US, European countries, some parts of Spain colonies in Africa and in Far East (Luna, 2003, p331). The article covers an emerging Hispanic folk healing as a nursing care approach where bilingual nurses integrate a cultural health care practice, curanderismo (meaning Hispanic folk healing), into modern nursing care, a move that has seen better health outcomes being realized in the US for the minority Hispanic group. Article Summary Luna’s article (2003) is an outsider’s eye on the Hispanic folk healing as a meaningful approa ch to health care in today’s times among the minority Hispanic groups living in the US. It introduces curanderismo as a renowned survival tactic in health care in history as old as 15th century. In the article, Luna (2003, p329) justifies cultural health interventions by linking them to the survival of humankind through medieval ages before modern biomedical models came to be. Today, the success of curanderismo in nursing is no longer thought of as magical as most people used to believe but an approach that has proven curative values (Luna, 2003, p333). The article primarily focuses on, other than just plain justification, real benefits of especially the use of curanderismo among other culturally and/or traditionally inclined medical care approaches. First is the regional benefit for the user. Using locally available plants and herbs, curanderismo is only traditional knowledge required for one to heal. With such a mechanism language between the caregiver or the nurse and the patient is no longer a barrier. Second benefit in line is the little economic input required. The nurse-curanderas (Hispanic folk healers or nurses) use plants and herbs, in a similar way the Asians do, and therefore capital resources required are basically cheap and locally available – and thus low-cost services. Compared to today’s escalating costs in modern physicians and health care delivery systems, a blending with the low-cost curanderismo reduces health care costs for the American minority groups with Hispanic origin. Therefore, in a way, curanderismo is a socio-economically friendly approach in this context, especially in US where the health insurance system has failed. The nurse-curanderas, in addition, have learned to use two languages – American English and Hispanic. Luna (2003) refers to these nurses and bilingual nurse-curanderas, who in their capacity as nurses are particularly effective in giving necessary care even to aboriginal Hispanics who may be completely locked to Hispanic language and culture. While some groups somehow distrust modern health services, curanderismo and the likes provide additional alternatives (Luna, 2003, p330). Interpreting Luna’s Article into real life practice In modern world, health care, like most other industries, faces difficult controversial issue of diversity of cultures (Sagar, 2011, p13). Due to globalization, modern health facilities are flocked with patients of different cultural