June 15, 2018

Now that you have had 3 days in the Cherokee Health Care system, what are some of the most critical issue this culture encounters daily?

            I think the main critical issues that are encountered here on a daily basis are things like the drug abuse that we have seen. I also feel, after being in the emergency department in Cherokee today I found that most of these patients choose not to go to the urgent care and tend to come to the ED instead, even though this is not a critical issue for the patients because no matter where they go their healthcare is paid for, however it is a little bit of an issue for the hospital and the emergency department.

Are there any prevalent conditions that you have noted? If so are they related to genetics, culture or deficient knowledge/health maintenance?

            Some of the more prevalent conditions that I have noticed here in Cherokee involve substance abuse, which is related to their culture and what happens here – the casino. Most of this community has diabetes I think that this is due to both cultural, genetic, and lack of knowledge/maintenance. We have been told by the nurses here at Cherokee that some of the people in the area are use to living with their blood sugars in the 400 and up. They have all the available resources and education is being given to them during their stays at the hospital however there is still a disconnect.

What is the nurse’s role in health promotion and health maintenance?

            The nurse’s role in health promotion and health maintenance involves educating and finding a way for each individual patient to comply with their routine so that they have the best possible outcome for their treatment. In order to do this you have to build trust with the patients and find their interests and know their schedule to some degree as well as understand their family dynamics.

In you opinion and observation, who is at the center of the health care system? Is this similar or different than your previous experiences in health care outside of Cherokee? Why or why not?

            After the three days that I have had at Cherokee it is safe to say that the tribe is in charge of the health care system, along with the staffing members without them the hospital would not run the way that it does. I think that Cherokee itself is much different than the hospitals that we are used to back home. I do see some similarities with some of the smaller hospitals around our area tend to some similarities toward Cherokee. In regards to Mission hospital it is much more what I am used to being around that environment, and even though I felt at home and very welcome at Cherokee, Mission is very comfortable because that is what I’m used to.