In a 2-3 page paper discuss how health and illness beliefs can influence the assessment process. You can use your textbook or any
other evidence-based sources. Include how belief structure might impact how a client responds to an assessment interview and
how culture might influence physical findings. Your assignment must have accurate spelling and grammar and use APA Editorial
Format.
You must include a title and reference page, page numbers and running heading.

 How health and illness beliefs can influence the nursing assessment process

There are many aspects that influence patient assessment, which include; illness-related beliefs, values, cultural backgrounds, spirituality, and religion. An effective healthcare provider must have cultural competence that helps in making an accurate diagnosis based on such factors. Illness and beliefs related to it greatly determine a patient’s wellness. Patient’s culture determines the entire process from history taking, exam, observation, and treatment. This paper explores the influence of health and illness beliefs on the nursing process as evidenced by how s client responds to interview questions. How health and illness beliefs can influence the nursing assessment process

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

Patients’ beliefs about health and illness determine the assessment process and procedures to be applied. Some clients believe that admitting they are sick could be stigmatizing and it is a sign of weakness. Such clients may withhold crucial information during the assessment. Others hold issues of health and illness so highly and belief in holistic care so they are willing to give all the information required for their care. Such clients have high self-esteem and they are open to expressing themselves during the assessment. They cooperate and may ask questions during the interview to seek clarification. Patients who believe that sickness is a sign of weakness, on the other hand, have low self-efficacy and could withhold crucial for making a correct diagnosis for fear of being viewed as weak. Such clients respond to interview questions based on their beliefs.  How health and illness beliefs can influence the nursing assessment process

There are somatic factors that determine a client’s response to interview questions. There are clients whose cultures have taught them to trust the healthcare providers and confide all their information with them. However, in other cultures mentioning some parts of the body or certain words is considered disrespectful or shameful. They would use words they consider respectful to express what they feel. For example, when depressed some patients do not openly say so because their culture prevents them from doing so they prefer to use expressions such as “my heart is hurting” to describe depression or low mood. Some clients believe that mental health issues are a result of witchcraft so they do not see the need of reporting it to a healthcare provider because it cannot be treated through conventional medicine.

Responses to interview questions influence both assessment and physical findings as they depend on the client’s cooperation. It is easy to perform an accurate physical assessment of a patient who freely expresses him/herself as opposed to those who withhold information. Healthcare professionals normally perform a focused physical assessment based on the parts of the body where clients report pain or present symptoms showing the affected part. If the client, for instance, refuses to disclose all the symptoms such as feeling pain in their private parts it becomes difficult to arrive at accurate physical findings. Some clients cannot report that they are feeling pain in their private parts because in their culture it is considered taboo to mention. A healthcare provider doing a focused assessment may not notice there is a problem.

In conclusion, the entire assessment process of patient assessment is affected by a patient’s beliefs about health and illness. The beliefs are revealed during an interview of clients as some responses to questions more freely while others withhold information because of their cultural beliefs. There are cultures that consider some sicknesses as a sign of weakness and during interviews, such clients are likely to hold information. Failure to disclose all the information about how they feel leads to wrong physical findings and thus the wrong diagnosis. Healthcare providers especially nurses are advised to develop cultural competence.

 References

Nibbelink, C. W., & Brewer, B. B. (2018). Decision‐making in nursing practice: An integrative literature review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(5-6), 917-928. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocn.14151

Alizadeh, S., & Chavan, M. (2016). Cultural competence dimensions and outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Health & social care in the community, 24(6), e117-e130. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hsc.12293

How health and illness beliefs can influence the nursing assessment process