Nursing

This course will introduce the student to transcultural nursing concepts, assessment, and the role of culture in understanding annd caring for diverse clients in health care settings. Various cultures and their concepts of health and illness will be examined; special emphasis will be placed on providing health care in a Lakota context. Culture will also be defined as behavior and established norms found in diverse health care settings. Understanding the "culture of nursing" institutional norms, behaviors, and communication patterns are critical to the student's transition into the workplace. Students will gain self awareness of their racial, ethnic, and cultural background as a prerequisite for eliciting and responding to clients' needs. Cross-cultural communication will be addressed to provide the student with skills to negotiate cultural differences between clients and providers around health and illness issues.

3 credit course