Narratives of Health and Illness: Importance of Health Narratives in Nursing Care

This essay discusses the importance of health narratives in nursing care, the negative impact of historical factors on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health, the positive impact of cultural factors on their health, and the importance of nurses having knowledge of their own culture, values, assumptions, and beliefs for providing safe healthcare.

NARRATIVES OF HEALTH
AND ILLNESS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Define health narrative and reason because of which person’s narrative is important for
nursing care..................................................................................................................................1
Discussion of ways in which historical factors impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples’ health negatively...........................................................................................................2
Discussion of ways in which cultural factors impact positively on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples’ health and well-being......................................................................................3
Discuss reason because of which it is important for nurses to have knowledge of their own
culture, values, assumptions and beliefs in order to provide safe health care.............................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Nursing is one of the most important part of health and social care. Nurses help in
providing high quality care to patients. Nurses plays a vital role in development of resistance
among patients suffering from different kinds of diseases that can affect their physical and
mental health (Labrague & De Los Santos, 2021). in order to provide appropriate quality of
service it is extremely important for nurses to understand health narratives of patient in order to
provide high quality nursing care to patient as it helps in understanding issues from which patient
is suffering from, their perspective and ways in which their suffering can be understood so that
effective and high- quality care can be provided to patients. This essay will lay emphasis upon
health narratives and its importance in nursing care, negative impact of historical factors upon
health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, positive impact of cultural factors upon
health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, importance of culture, values,
assumptions and beliefs for nurses for providing safe healthcare.
MAIN BODY
Define health narrative and reason because of which person’s narrative is important for nursing
care
Health narratives can be defined as a way that can help in understanding and seeing
overall health issues of patients for perspective of patient and to understand level of suffering
from which they are suffering. It is one of the most appropriate way though which in depth and
better understanding of overall health, illness and current situation and suffering of patients. This
in- depth analysis of health issue of patient is important and plays a vital role in nursing care
because it directly helps nurses in gaining better understanding of patient’s story so that as per
this knowledge high quality and as per preference of patient care can be provided to patient as it
directly help in enhancing overall satisfaction level of patients (Sampaio Sequeira, &Teixeira,
2021). Not only this, it can further help nurses in understanding barriers that can affect care
provided to patients that are required to be adhered while providing treatment and care to
patients.
Health narratives can directly bring chances within nursing care of patients. It helps
nurses in understanding ways in which a patient will perceive care provided to them, ways in
which provision of care will affect trat level of patients and would eventually affect perspective
of patients and their satisfaction level. Health narratives in nursing care are extremely important
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for many different purposes, such as: it can help in understanding level of suffering and illness of
patient, it can help nurses in understanding ways in which they can get consent of patient in
terms of provision of care, it can help in understanding ways in which communication gap
between patient and nurses can be reduced and boundaries between nurse and patient can be
maintained as well high quality of service and care provision can be maintained.
Discussion of ways in which historical factors impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples’ health negatively
There are various kinds of historical factors that can affect overall health of people in
many different ways. Historical factors such as colonization, trauma of dispossession and racism
has directly impacted overall health of impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but in
negative manner (LoGiudice &Bartos, 2021). Impact of historical factors such as colonization,
trauma of dispossession and racism upon overall health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people have been explained below in detailed manner.
Colonization is one of the main factors that affected overall health of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. It severely disrupted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Due to this colonization and epidemic disease was spread because of which they lost various
lives. It not only affected physical health of these people but it also affected mental, emotional
and spiritual health of Aboriginal people. Spread of chronic disease resulted in poor health in
many groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a result a much wider gap
between non- Aboriginal a people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was created.
Colonization further resulted in degrading mental and emotional health of people (Aiken & et. al.
2021). This because most of them were separated from the land, some of them experienced
abuse, discrimination. Due to this, mental health of these people was impacted drastically, some
of the suffered from depression and most of them had suffered from traumatic experience
because of which metal health of such people was impacted. As per recent studies done in this
sector it was identified that, more than 33 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
reported that they suffer from lower confidence level, depression etc.
Trauma of dispossession trauma was suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people at the time of colonization itself because of which mental health of these people were
degraded drastically ( Labrague & De Los Santos, 2021). This is because at the time of
colonization, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were separated from their own land, or
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property. Colonization was one of the most horrifying historic time of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people because it resulted in stripping them from their own land, destroyed their
families or culture, lost many lives due to epidemic. But dispossession from their own land was
much more drastic as it affected their overall mental health. this historic even affected their
mental health, according to a recent survey it was identified that overall live expectancy of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was lower than other Australian people ( Labrague
& De Los Santos, 2021). More than 40 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
reported that this historic traumatic experience of dispossession directly impacted their mental
health and consider it as a main factor because of which their they have lower life expectancy as
compared to their Australian people.
Discussion of ways in which cultural factors impact positively on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples’ health and well-being
Cultural factors has directly impacted aboriginal people’s health in a positive manner
( Labrague & De Los Santos, 2021). This is because cultural factors has helped such people in
understanding these people in understanding their purpose, belonging, support self worth. It has
further helped such people in understanding their resilience power, activities that can helped
them to remain fit and healthy. Cultre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people helps them
in understanding that discrimination among people should not be done. It helps them in learning
that each and every individual is equal and should be treated equally whether it is in terms of
emotions, social or physical factors. Their culture helps them in indulging in physical activities
which further helps them in remaining fit. This indirectly contributes in enhancement of health
and wellbeing of such people. Culture built approach adopted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people helps them in maintaining balance of life, helps them in protecting each other,
supporting each other, and focus upon bringing further improvement within their social and
environmental conditions. Culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people helps them in
learning importance of remaining updated with the society due to which most of the people are
focusing upon remaining updated with education, bringing improvement within their lifestyle
etc. As a result not only their economic conditions are improving but their overall health and
wellbeing is also getting improved.
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Discuss reason because of which it is important for nurses to have knowledge of their own
culture, values, assumptions and beliefs in order to provide safe health care
It is highly crucial for nurses to have in depth knowledge of their own practiced cultures, values
and varied assumptions evolving in recent time period for attaining significant growth rise
evolved within recent time period. Nurses by knowing knowledge and cultural background
knowledge, are able to provide safe health care practices for attaining productive
engagement within treatments. Nurses must adhere strong confident expertise within
practising medical treatments to nurses, cultural values significantly for functional growth in
serving patients with proper health care practices. Nurses also by practising ethical cultural
values, practices are able to determine keen determinants connected as per best healthcare
standards for attending cases with high sincerity. As per the views of Shan & et.al, .(2021),
nurse’s knowledge regarding cultural ethics, beliefs and values enable patients to be
comfortable within treatments and to also be keenly confident. Nurses by having trained
efficacy within treating patients, are able to primitively bring on productive developed
advancement innovatively. Author also stresses focus on the fact that nurses must adhere to
cultural specific parameters, for providing safe and healthy facilities to patients coming in
within hospital. It is essential to have in depth prerequisite knowledge of various cultural
values dynamically, engage on with patients with best comfortable language and also
portray role of ethical leader. Author also represented focus towards research papers, where
example of recent covid-19 situation enables us to learn that nurses need to be ethically
prepared and focused on towards respecting patient specific preferences.
As noted by another author Aiken & et.al, (2021), nurses by heading on professional
knowledge and creatively advanced nursing skills of best values such asaltruism, autonomy,
human dignity, integrity, honesty and social justice are able to serve better. The nursing
practices are significantly diverse within recent time, where knowledge and practise to serve
patients ethically enhances competent growth parameters diversely. There is also significant
focus pertained on towards diverse new scale active abilities for serving patients, with latest
medical services and significantly be optimistic while treatment. It also enables to enhance
expertise services related to hygienic facilities to be provided to patients, as per latest medical
facilities and also further evolve towards providing high quality treatments. There is also fairness
within treatments enhanced, for serving patients with strong dignity goals and new evolved focus
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for leveraged rise on keen medical principles. Nurses also need to be experienced of handling
critical cases, where expertise pertaining towards determined functional growth rapidly evolves
significant growth paradigms dynamically. There is also keen potentiality achieved, when nurses
are ethically responsible towards recent scenarios effectively and gain best scale working
expertise targets diversely. Nurses must also adhere towards keen new medical and nursing
practices for technical innovation and quest rise evolved competitively, which enables them to
serve patients with high mannered services. There is also strengthened vision dynamically
engaged on by providing patients, where nurses need to be ethically diversified for practising
new goals and also primitively enhancing wider scale targets.
CONCLUSION
From the above essay it has been summarized that health narratives is one most important
part which is required to be focused upon in nursing care. It is extremely important for nurses to
focus upon adopting this health narratives by nurses so that they can understand issues faced by
patients, can understand their level of suffering, can understand point of view of patients. It is
important for nurses because it directly helps them in bringing improvement within their patient
care. Health narratives can help nurses in bringing positive improvement within health of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Above essay has also helped in understanding that
there are various kinds historical factors that has impacted health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people which has not only impacted their physical health but has also impacted their
overall mental health of those people. Findings of this essay has also helped in understanding
that there various kinds of cultural factors that has successfully helped in understanding that
overall health of people can be positively improved due to these cultural factors.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aiken, L. H., & et.al, (2021). Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England: an
observational study. BMJ open. 8(1). e019189.
Shan, G. & et.al, . (2021). Presenteeism in nurses: prevalence, consequences, and causes from
the perspectives of nurses and chief nurses. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 11. 1541.
Bassert, J. M. (2021). McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses E-
Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Jia, Y., & et.al, (2021). Nurses’ ethical challenges caring for people with COVID-19: a
qualitative study. Nursing ethics. 28(1). 33-45.
Leng, M., & et.al, (2021). Mental distress and influencing factors in nurses caring for patients
with COVID‐19. Nursing in critical care, 26(2), 94-101.
Zheng, R., & et.al, (2021). Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among
nurses during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China: A cross-sectional
study. International journal of nursing studies, 114, 103809.
Labrague, L. J., & De Los Santos, J. A. A. (2021). Prevalence and predictors of coronaphobia
among frontline hospital and public health nurses. Public Health Nursing. 38(3).
382-389.
Sampaio, F., Sequeira, C., &Teixeira, L. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on nurses’
mental health: A prospective cohort study. Environmental research. 194.110620.
LoGiudice, J. A., &Bartos, S. (2021). Experiences of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A
mixed-methods study. AACN Advanced Critical Care. 32(1).14-26.
Aiken, L. H.,& et.al. (2021). Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England: an
observational study. BMJ open. 8(1). e019189.
Shan, G. & et.al, (2021). Presenteeism in nurses: prevalence, consequences, and causes from the
perspectives of nurses and chief nurses. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 11.1541.
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