Nursing

National Origin of Your Client/Family Rites You May Observe Before, When, and/or After Birth Nigeria (population 50% Muslim) Traditional birth attendants are frequently used BCG at birth Norway (population 94% Lutheran) Kangaroo care (baby is carried in a “pocket” that the mother wears) Father may attend delivery Breast-feeding Pakistan (population 97% Muslim) Traditional birth attendants […]

National Origin of Your Client/Family Rites You May Observe Before, When, and/or After Birth Cuba (population 85% Catholic) Avoid loud noises and looking at deformed people when pregnant Stay home for 41 days Breast-feeding BCG at birth Egypt (population 94% Muslim) Sugar water and foods offered after 40 days Newborn swaddled Celebration held on seventh

Cross-Cultural Guide to Birth Rites from Selected Nations National Origin of Your Client/Family Rites You May Observe Before, When, and/or After Birth Afghanistan (population 89% Muslim) Use of traditional birth attendant (dais) Breast-feeding nearly universal BCGa at birth Albania (population 70% Muslim, 20% Orthodox, 10% Catholic) BCG at birth Algeria (population 99% Muslim) Father not

Death Rituals It was believed that the work of evil spirits and the duration of their evil— whether it was 7 or 40 days—surrounded the person, family, and community at the time of and after death. Rites evolved to protect both dying and dead persons and the remaining family from these evil spirits. The dying

Extensions of Birth Rituals to Today’s Practices Early human beings, in their quest for survival, strove to appease and prevent the evil spirits from interfering with their lives. Their beliefs seem simple and naive, yet the rituals that began in those years have evolved into those that exist today. Attacks of the evil spirits were

Birth-Related Religious Rituals Religion Practice Time Method Baptist (27 bodies) Baptism Older child Immersion Church of Christ Baptism 8 years Immersion Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Baptism 8 years or older Immersion Eastern Orthodox Baptism Infants Total immersion Episcopalian Baptism Infant Friends (Quaker) No baptism Named Greek Orthodox Baptism 40 days Sprinkle

Birth Rituals In the minds of early human beings, the number of evil spirits far exceeded the number of good spirits, and a great deal of energy and time was devoted to thwarting these spirits. They could be defeated by the use of gifts or rituals or, when the evil spirits had to be removed

Traditional Homeopathic HEALER versus Modern Allopathic Physician HEALER Physician 1. Maintains informal, friendly, affective relationship with the entire family 2. Comes to the house, day or night 3. For diagnosis, consults with head of house, creates a mood of awe, talks to all family members, is not authoritarian, has social rapport, builds expectation of cure

Types of HEALING A review of HEALING and spiritual literature reveals that there are 4 types of HEALING: 1. Spiritual HEALING. When a person is experiencing an illness of the spirit, spiritual HEALING applies. The cause of suffering is personal sin. The treatment method is repentance, which is followed by a natural healing process. 2.

Diet No restrictions Euthanasia Favor nonaction May withdraw therapies if death imminent Healing beliefs Faith healing: seen as “superstitious” Healing practices Use of science to facilitate healing Medications No restrictions Organ donations Acceptable Right-to-die issues Favor the right to die with dignity Surgical procedures No restrictions Visitors Family, friends, church members Source: Adapted with permission