Heritage Assessment
Caridad Doucet
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V Family Centered Health Promotions
Melva Bost RN, MS
August 26, 2012
Heritage Assessment The United States has become a multicultural country. Everywhere you look, you see a plethora of cultures that range from Hispanic and African to Asian and American Indian. The varied traditions and beliefs of a multicultural country impact how nurses implement patient-centered care. The best way to provide optimal care in nursing is to become better informed in how different cultures view health maintenance, protection, and restoration. The Heritage Assessment is a wonderful tool to obtain information that can be used to evaluate the needs of the whole person.
The Heritage Assessment is a list of twenty nine questions that identify a person’s county of origin, native language, religious beliefs, education, and birth place of parents and grandparents information. These questions reveal cultural information that can help the nurse assess the needs of the whole patient, not just the diagnosis, and to plan their care accordingly. The heritage assessment can also build communication by fostering interest and openings for other important health related questions. The information provided can break down stereotyping by informing the nurse of where individuals derive their feelings about illness, and heath care. (Smith)
This nurse’s cultural heritage is Hispanic-Mexican American; their family is Protestant (Baptist) and believes that God is in control but gives free will. The nurse also holds the opinion that personal choices can affect health. A combination of prayers to God and modern medicine, including diagnostic and medications are used for healing. Since this nurse was born in the United States (Tucson Arizona), most influences and
