Quiz 7: Cultural understanding and spiritual care

Please choose the one, most correct answer to each question or statement.

Culture is:
- Unique to each individual and does not necessarily mean belonging to a specific group
- Belonging to a specific cultural group and respecting its shared beliefs, values and practices
- Not important in palliative care as the treatment remains the same whatever the culture
- The same in the child and their family as they will always have the same beliefs and practices
What can culture shape and influence?
- The physical size the child will grow to
- Our beliefs only
- Childhood development and how they respond to their illness
- Causes of the illnesses the child may develop
Culture can influence how illness is experienced by:
- Preventing expressions of pain and suffering
- Deciding which treatment is needed so that the child can make a full recovery
- Allowing treatment to be decided by traditional healers only
- Leaving the decision making to the healthcare providers
Cultural and religious beliefs:
- Have no influence on the way the body is cared for after death
- Have an influence on how much time the child will spend in hospital
- Influence the way the family may express their grief
- Dictate what education a child will need when receiving treatment
You can show cultural competence in practice by:
- Respecting the child and family’s shared beliefs, values and practices
- Completing a cultural assessment
- Trying to get patients to adopt your cultural beliefs
- Helping the child adapt to the culture of the healthcare system
Interacting with people of different cultures requires:
- Respect and acceptance of a person’s culture that is different to your own
- Telling them that your own culture and beliefs are better than theirs
- That you do a spiritual assessment only
- You avoid any discussion about cultural beliefs and practices
Why do health carers need cultural sensitivity and competence?
- Because it stops conflict and fighting in health facilities
- It increases the chance of getting paid a bonus at the end of the year
- It ensures that patients will give presents to the carer
- It helps carers interact effectively with their patients
A framework that can be used to assess culturally sensitive issues includes:
- Assessing how many children are in the family
- Assessing how much financial support the family are receiving
- Gathering information about the family’s beliefs, daily practices and community involvement
- Deciding what traditions would be the best for them to follow
What can you do to assess the family’s culture and beliefs?
- Take note of the clothing worn and the food they eat
- Ask simple questions like, ‘What is your home language?’ or ‘What is your nationality?’ or ‘What tribe do you belong to?’
- Question each family member in separate interviews
- Observe them quietly without asking any questions
What can you do to manage harmful cultural practices?
- It is best to ignore them
- Ban the parents from visiting the child while in hospital
- Healthcare providers have a duty to report traditional practices that may be harmful to the child
- Do not allow the use of any traditional practices
What is spirituality?
- The same thing as religion
- Spirituality is about meaning, purpose and connectedness with nature and the significant or sacred
- An organised set of beliefs and practices belonging to a specific group
- A belief in the afterlife
What is religion?
- An organised set of beliefs and practices belonging to a specific group
- The church you that you belong to
- A tradition based on western beliefs and values
- The same as cultural sensitivity
Spiritual care:
- Is provided by a spiritual leader only
- Is only needed when children are older and can understand more abstract ideas
- Caring for the mind and body
- Provides opportunities for children to cope with the difficulties of serious illness through prayer, mindfulness and meditation
Spiritual concerns older children may have, include:
- Being given no hope and a lack of forgiveness
- That they will be punished if they have no faith
- That ‘magical thinking’ will make their illness worse
- That they are not allowed to discuss their beliefs with healthcare providers
Spirituality in children:
- Cannot be assessed as children are too young to express their spirituality
- Is assessed through the religious beliefs of their parents
- Can be assessed through exploring what has meaning and purpose in their lives
- Can only be determined through using validated assessment tools
How can you get children to express themselves?
- Use questions like ‘Who or what helps you when you are afraid?’ or ‘What is important to you?’
- Tell them you will buy them sweets and toys if they talk to you
- Ask the parents to ask the child to share what is worrying them
- Tell them they will not be forgiven if they do not open up and talk
What is a ‘sacred space’?
- A safe environment for a child to express spiritual concerns
- A place set aside where the child can meet with the spiritual support person
- Only a church or religious building
- A place where the child can pray
We provide spiritual care for children who are very young or severely disabled through:
- Praying for them and singing religious songs
- Ensuring they are pain free
- Reading religious stories to them
- Providing connections with trusted carers and with nature
Children may express their understanding that they are dying by:
- Playing hide and seek
- Drawing with only black crayons
- Drawing pictures of a journey
- Singing their favourite song over and over
Spiritual support should be provided by
- The child and family’s religious leader only
- The hospital spiritual support provider only
- The care team, the family’s religious leader and the family
- Only members of the care team trained in spiritual care of children