Discuss how can you influence the cultural beliefs and traditions on healthcare practice when using Ayurveda medicinal practice. Submission Instructions: Contribute

Ayurveda: Relevance in Cultural Care

Culture Care Theory, Research, and Practice in Diverse Cultures (Part 2) Nurses benefit from cultural competence by incorporating relevant societal values into their practice. Nurses have several responsibilities, including caring for the sick, providing treatment plans, and caring for the elderly. Culturally competent healthcare workers can provide the highest level of medical care while demonstrating an understanding of their patients' cultures, beliefs, and values. Understanding patients' cultural diversity and treating them accordingly is essential. Developing cultural competence in nurses enables them to empathize with patients, relate to them, and pay more attention to their needs.

Continuing education, cross-cultural interactions, and specific assessments can strengthen healthcare workers' cultural competency. Through these efforts, they can keep their minds open and free of judgment and preconceived notions regarding certain cultures and locations. Providing culturally competent services in each sector makes the world a better place. In every community, culturally competent nurses are crucial to delivering high-quality health care (The Chicago School, 2021).

1. Ayurveda: Relevance in Cultural Care. Many traditional systems of medicine (TSMs) around the world, and Ayurveda are considered one of the oldest. There are still considerable things to be learned about the ancient wisdom in this traditional medicine system. It is possible to develop new avenues for herbal drug discovery by combining the rich knowledge from different conventional medicine methods. Apart from other obstacles to the derived medicines, the lack of an understanding of the changes and comparations between the academic policies of these systems is the main impediment to their convergence (Jaiswal & Williams, 2016).

In Sanskrit, Ayurveda refers to the science or knowledge of life. It is the meaning of Ayurveda, which is the knowledge of life. According to Ayurveda, disease results from an imbalance or stress in the individual's consciousness. It encourages specific lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to balance body, mind, spirit, and environment. Ayurvedic treatment begins with internal cleansing, shadowed by a special diet, herbal medicines, massage therapy, yoga, and reflection.

Ayurvedic medicine is based on universal interconnection, Prakriti (the body's constitution), and doshas (life forces). The treatment objectives include eliminating impurities, decreasing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, reducing worry, and enhancing harmony. In Ayurvedic treatment, herbs, and other plants, including oils and spices, are extensively used.

Several forms of medical care are recognized in India, including Ayurveda, Western medicine, Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathy. The practice of Ayurveda in India is regulated and institutionalized by the government. The United States does not license Ayurvedic practitioners, nor are there national standards or certifications for Ayurvedic practitioners. Some states have approved Ayurvedic schools as educational institutions. As a complementary therapy in conjunction with conventional medicine, Ayurveda can have positive effects (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022).

Several forms of medical care are recognized in India, including Ayurveda, Western medicine, Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathy. Ayurveda practitioners in India undergo

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state-recognized, institutionalized training. There is no national typical for Ayurvedic training or certification in the United States. Some states have, however, approved Ayurvedic schools as educational institutions.

In Western and Indian research, many Ayurvedic materials have not been thoroughly examined. Herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials used in Ayurvedic medicine may be harmful if misused or used without the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Since Ayurvedic medicines are not regulated as drugs in the United States, they do not need to meet the same safety and efficacy standards as conventional medicines. There is a possibility that these medicines may interact with or work against the effects of Western medications (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022).

According to Ayurveda, diseases are divided into two categories: those which can be treated with medical treatment or surgery and those which cause mental or physical discomfort, which can be attributed to the three reasons mentioned above. Rather than being disease-specific, human characteristics often influence diagnosis and treatment. Several factors should be considered before a doctor makes a diagnosis, including the age of the patient, his or her living environment, his or her social and cultural background, and the patient’s constitution. The diagnosis of a disease is primarily based on observing its symptoms and signs. References for diagnostic purposes include the tongue coating, the skin color, the eyes, feces, and urine. The diagnosis and treatment methods are to strengthen detoxification, medicine, diet, exercise, and health preservation of the body’s function, eliminate the factors that cause the imbalance of the body system and its components, restore balance, strengthen the physique, and prevent or reduce the occurrence of the disease (Yang, & Kang, 2008).

Treatments in Ayurveda are based on the Panchakarma method. Among the benefits of Panchakarma therapy are the regeneration of the body, the purification of the body, and the extension of life. In Panchakarma, five karmas (actions) are used to remove toxins from the body. The following methods are used for purification: Virechan (purified with powders, pastes, and decoctions), Vaman (forced vomiting with drugs), Basti (enema of medicinal oil), Rakta moksha (bloodletting), and Nasya (nasal administration using decoctions, oils, and smoke) (Shi, Zhang, and Li, 2021).

2. Cultural Expression, Meanings, Beliefs, and Practices of Mexican American Women During the Post- Partum Period. A woman's prenatal expectations describe a wide range of domains she envisions as she prepares for motherhood. These expectations influence how a woman enters motherhood. Even though the maternal role is strongly influenced by the prevailing sociocultural and familial context, no research has characterized the prenatal expectations of ethnic minorities and low-income women. It is essential to study Latina mothers because they are a member of the largest minority group in the United States. Several authors have described the maternal role as a "social construct" with characteristics strongly influenced by the prevailing social and familial context. While research examining maternal prenatal expectations has been conducted on middle-class Caucasian women, extraordinarily little attention has been paid to how ethnic minority and low-income women approach motherhood. A vital minority group in the United States with 30-40% fertility rates, Hispanic mothers are higher than any other group in the country (Census Bureau, 2011).

There is an increased birth rate among Mexican American women among Hispanic women (Hamilton, 2011) and a greater likelihood of being exposed to live stressors that may significantly impact their pregnancy. The possibility of being insured decreased, the level of financial resources dwindled, and discrimination increased. Mexican American women face unique socioeconomic and psychosocial risks during pregnancy that warrant a careful study of their prenatal experiences. Using an existing measure adapted to evaluate prenatal expectations among Mexican American pregnant women of low income, this study describes the measure’s psychometric properties. It explores the demographic, cultural, and psychosocial correlates of women's anticipated views of the early postpartum period.

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Prior studies have rarely considered ethnic and cultural considerations when addressing prenatal expectations. Mexican American women may be particularly affected by social and ecological forces when determining their prenatal expectations since they are more likely to be influenced by cultural values and norms related to motherhood and family relationships. According to Germán et al., 2009, Mexican women adhere strongly to family values emphasizing the attachment to their nuclear and extended families. In previous qualitative research, it has been demonstrated that Mexican American women have more prenatal expectations related to the impact of a new child on their family unit than women of other ethnic groups.(Tamis-Lemonda and Kahana-Kalman 2009). It is similarly significant to note that family values are connected to “marianismo”. This construct specifies gender-specific role expectations about the significant role of motherhood and childcare in the lives of Hispanic women (Castillo et al., 2010). Being a mother is often regarded as a valuable and meaningful role by Mexican American women. In Mexican American women, culturally specific constructs related to motherhood (e.g., motherhood as a valued and rewarding life experience) have been associated with positive pregnancy and birth experiences. As a result of acculturation, Mexican American women's prenatal expectations may differ in terms of their content and their relationship with cultural values. Acculturation may influence the transition to parenthood as dominant cultural values of individualism, self-development, personal goals, and egalitarian gender roles are increasingly adopted (Gress-Smith et al., 2013).

References

Germán, M., at al., (2009). Familism values as a protective factor for Mexican-origin adolescents exposed to deviant peers. J Early Adolesc. 2009;29(1):16–42. doi: 10.1177/0272431608324475.

Gress-Smith, J.L., et al., (2013) Prenatal expectations in Mexican American women: development of a culturally sensitive measure. Arch Women’s Ment Health. 2013 Aug;16(4):303-14. doi: 10.1007/s00737-013-0350-2. Epub 2013 Apr 17. Erratum in: Arch Women’s Ment Health. 2013 Aug;16(4):315. Cirnic, Keith [corrected to Cmic, Keith]. PMID: 23592028; PMCID: PMC3722278.

Jaiswal, Y.S., & Williams, L.L. (2016). A glimpse of Ayurveda – The forgotten history and principles of Indian traditional medicine. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016 Feb 28;7(1):50-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.02.002. PMID: 28053888; PMCID: PMC5198827.

Ayurveda. (2019, 2 diciembre). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda

Tamis-Lemonda, C., and Kahana-Kalman, R. (2009). Mothers’ views at the transition to a new baby: Variation across ethnic groups. Parent-Sci Prac. 2009; 9:36–55. doi: 10.1080/15295190802656745.

Colich, A. (2021, 7 diciembre). The Importance of Cultural Competence in Nursing. Insight Digital Magazine. https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/health-care/the-importance-of-cultural- competence-in-nursing/

Yang, D., & Kang, L. (2008) Traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. Intern J Tradit Chin Med, 30 (4) (2008), pp. 314-316

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