Therefore, a nurse must be fully aware of these sensitivities when providing care to a patient, especially when the patient is a member of cultural group from outside the U.S.

The third criteria is social organization. For example, most African-American families tend to be based on a matriarchal system with either the mother or another female member of the family serving as its leader. This matriarch may also serve as the source for advice on certain

family matters; of course, the patriarch of the family (i.e., the father figure) also plays a role in family decision-making. Thus, most African-American families are composed of a support network made up of mothers, fathers and other close relatives, something which often creates tension and dissent. In this respect, a nurse must be aware of this matriarchal system and its network in such a way as to gain the trust of family members when...
[ View Full Essay]