One
of the things I am most excited about this trip is the hope to gain confidence
and skills in my clinical practices as a future nurse. I look forward to seeing how these clients use
their resources to take care of themselves.
My goal is to observe and witness how the Cherokee tribe takes care of
themselves, including how their beliefs, rituals, and cultural values influence
their health. Through the NUKA Model of
Care, they based their care and interventions on the tribe’s rituals and
cultural values; I am interested to see if this could create an issue with
Modern Western medicine.
Some resources available to the tribe includes
the Swain County Health Department, Jackson County Health Department, Public
Health & Human Services for the Cherokee Communities in Western NC, and the
Eastern Band of Cherokee. These
resources provide care for the members of all ages; prenatal care is provided
for expecting mothers. The Swain County
Health Department has a Certified Child Passenger Safety Tech that educates the
parents how to properly install car seats and education on car safety regarding
their new infant. This would be a great resource for all mothers of age; car
safety is a necessary factor that can often be overlooked by new parents and
their providers.
There are a few
resources that provide care for the children to help prevent health risks from
occurring such as the Care Coordination for Children (CC4C) (Swain County, 2016). Other resources
available for children to help better their health include the Dental
Services. The Dental Services attend a
school one day and provide free screenings, cleanings, and fluoride
treatments.
One positive
result found with the NUKA Model of Care (discussed previously) is the Cherokee
Indian tribe members became more independent taking care of their health. They found an increase in the absence of the
Cherokee members from the criminal courts, uniform observance of the marriage
rite, the character and development of schools, and the industry of the
people. Having individuals gaining
independence of their health can help them realize the importance of taking
care and how their lifestyle can impact their health.
I have not had
many encounters with individuals of the Native American people. I am curious to see what traditions, beliefs,
or rituals they have and how they carry these out. Family values and traditions are highly
worshiped in my life and the Cherokee tribe members. I hope to meet a tribe member that will
openly share their practices with me and the history behind them.
Swain County Health Department. Swain County North Carolina. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.swaincountync.gov/health-child-health.html
Swain County Health Department. Swain County North Carolina. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.swaincountync.gov/health-child-health.html
Hey Kelsey
ReplyDeleteI too have not had many encounters with Native Americans, actually none at all, which makes me kind of nervous because I don't know what to expect or how we should act. I hope that being here and us wanting to learn about their culture and beliefs they are more open to speaking with us and teaching a little about their way of life. I do agree with you and think it was great for you mentioning family values as well. They are a high priority in my life and with the Cherokee culture are the center of their tribe as well. We have some similarities already. I look forward to learning a lot more about the Native Americans.