 BREASTFEEDING
SIKH WOMEN
NURSING CARE
MAIN  |
 Nursing is a profession that necessitates the understanding of cultural differences. �As our world conflates through the use of technology and travel, we can no longer maintain a single cultural perspective. Societies are becoming increasingly more diverse and this requires health care and nursing to take account of differing needs� (Scholes & Moore, 1999, p. 61). By using appropriate cross-cultural communication techniques, nurses will be enhancing their ability to inquire about their client�s health care needs. Hegemony is another concepts that needs to be examined in providing culturally sensitive care due to the allocation of power, which may exist within certain environments. Nurses along with health care professionals need to consider that ��traditions play an important role in shaping women�s actions in the perinatal period� (Lynam et al., 1997, p. 23). It is also imperative to be mindful that clients have their own phenomenological experiences, and may not participate in certain traditions that other Sikh women may partake in. Nurses need to go through a process of self-awareness to determine their thoughts and feelings surrounding certain issues and cultural beliefs. As mentioned on the previous page hegemony is a concept that is prevalent in the lives of some Indo-Canadian women. Nurses need to understand the root causes of this hegemony and realize that the hegemony faced by these women directly impacts their choices to breastfeed. Nurses can help their clients make their own decisions by educating family members on the benefits of breastfeeding. If the woman�s family members understand the benefits of breastfeeding the likelihood of them supporting her choices increases (Lynam et al., 2000; Lynam et al., 1997).  Lynam, J., Gurm, B., & Dhari, R. (2000, April). Exploring perinatal health in Indo-Canadian women. The Canadian Nurse, 18-24. Lynam, J., Gurm, B., & Dhari, R. (1997). Indo-Canadian women's health in the perinatal period: Women's perspectives. A focus on traditional and contexts of learning. A research project for the Indo-Canadian Women's Organization of British Columbia, Unpublished. Scholes, J. (2000). Clinical exchange: one model to achieve culturally sensitive care. Nursing Inquiry, 7 (1), 61-71. |