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Heritage Assessment

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Every individual has a cultural heritage. Each culture views the world differently. Heritage is whom we are, where we came from and our historical roots. The Heritage Assessment Tool is designed to “give nurses an understanding of the patient’s traditional health and illness beliefs and practices so that culturally appropriate interventions can be initiated. The tool is a series of twenty nine questions. These twenty nine questions are designed to determine a patient’s ethnic, cultural, and religious background,” (Flowers, D.L., 2005). The Heritage Assessment Tool (HAT) , is a check list used by professionals to gain knowledge of patients culture and beliefs prior to initiating care (Spector 2000). In combination with questions that relate to health beliefs and practices the HAT assessment includes events in their childhood, which contribute to the values, and beliefs in adulthood (Spector, 1989). NursesThe Heritage Assessment Tool is a worksheet operated by people in the medical field in order to recognize the standpoint of a patient in respect to culture and beliefs. It’s an accurate method in which the medical professional comprehends the patients prior to beginning any interventions. Ultimately the objective is to diminish disease and ease anguish in the most effectual way that is feasible, it is wise for the licensed practitioner to recognize the utmost comfy actions for the client. (Edelman & Mandle, 2010) The heritage assessment tool aids medical professionals in evaluating somebody's mental, physical and spiritual principles, which in return aids in clarifying customary health approaches such as health restoration, health maintenance and health protection. . Our goal, as nurses, is to respect and maximize the health of our patients with the help of their heritage.

I interviewed three different families from three different ethnic

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