This is the story about a Chinese woman which you might have heard about before.
The Chinese woman I met was crazy about warming body.
Although her delivery was in the middle of summer, she never took a shower after that, and she even used the electronic blanket when in bed. Delivery is such a hard task enough to sweat a lot. In Japan, people usually take a shower from the next day of the delivery. For that reason, I was thinking that the lady was such a lazy and dirty person. One day, I talked to the lady and said, “Would you like to take a shower? It will make you feel good.” However, she went like this; “No way!” with an astonished face.
According to her, in her area in China, it is prohibited to take a bath within a month after a delivery since it is believed that it will make your strength weaken, and make your death earlier. Then I asked; “What about…shampoo only?” Because her hair was so coarse that it was getting bound!!!!!
“Shampoo!? No, no. I would if there is Shinsui (sacred water).”
“Shinsui? Shinsui?(launch) …Oh! God’s water, Shinsui! Where is it?”
“China.”
“…Right.”
Although the conversation between the lady and me was like a comic dialogue, but this conversation without any kind of prejudice led me to the understanding of her sense of value, and also other countries’ way of thinking and custom of delivery. This lady didn’t take a shower at all but we figured out that we could use bubble shampoo which needs no water. That is; her cultural needs and our nursing finally met well enough to be negotiated.
However, it is not the case that the cultural custom we got to know can be common among all Chinese. How to take delivery differs depending on which area they are from although they are from the same country, China. But more than that, beyond nationality or race, every human has their own individuality. The other Chinese lady I met at the different occasion, though she was prohibited to take a shower by her mom really strictly, she said “I can’t stand this. I will do it stealthy so please keep it secret.”
Cultures and Customs are passed on to the next generation as traditions, but their contexts and interpretation would vary in every generation.
Also, cultures might have a different feature depending on who inherit it.
Thus, culture would be different up to a person. In nursing world, we made it our biggest goal to supply care that suits patients’ needs, that is we think individuality as the most important factor. Individual care- this must be the care offered in consideration for each person’s culture. Nursing is such a foresighted job lol.
You can download this multilingual pamphlet from RASC’s website. If you know any foreign expectant mother, let her know about this!
http://www.rasc.jp/
The editorial department of Senseup will be reporting Ms. Fujiwara’s activities in multicultural nursing regularly. Don’t miss them!
The Chinese woman I met was crazy about warming body.
Although her delivery was in the middle of summer, she never took a shower after that, and she even used the electronic blanket when in bed. Delivery is such a hard task enough to sweat a lot. In Japan, people usually take a shower from the next day of the delivery. For that reason, I was thinking that the lady was such a lazy and dirty person. One day, I talked to the lady and said, “Would you like to take a shower? It will make you feel good.” However, she went like this; “No way!” with an astonished face.
According to her, in her area in China, it is prohibited to take a bath within a month after a delivery since it is believed that it will make your strength weaken, and make your death earlier. Then I asked; “What about…shampoo only?” Because her hair was so coarse that it was getting bound!!!!!
“Shampoo!? No, no. I would if there is Shinsui (sacred water).”
“Shinsui? Shinsui?(launch) …Oh! God’s water, Shinsui! Where is it?”
“China.”
“…Right.”
Although the conversation between the lady and me was like a comic dialogue, but this conversation without any kind of prejudice led me to the understanding of her sense of value, and also other countries’ way of thinking and custom of delivery. This lady didn’t take a shower at all but we figured out that we could use bubble shampoo which needs no water. That is; her cultural needs and our nursing finally met well enough to be negotiated.
However, it is not the case that the cultural custom we got to know can be common among all Chinese. How to take delivery differs depending on which area they are from although they are from the same country, China. But more than that, beyond nationality or race, every human has their own individuality. The other Chinese lady I met at the different occasion, though she was prohibited to take a shower by her mom really strictly, she said “I can’t stand this. I will do it stealthy so please keep it secret.”
Cultures and Customs are passed on to the next generation as traditions, but their contexts and interpretation would vary in every generation.
Also, cultures might have a different feature depending on who inherit it.
Thus, culture would be different up to a person. In nursing world, we made it our biggest goal to supply care that suits patients’ needs, that is we think individuality as the most important factor. Individual care- this must be the care offered in consideration for each person’s culture. Nursing is such a foresighted job lol.
You can download this multilingual pamphlet from RASC’s website. If you know any foreign expectant mother, let her know about this!
http://www.rasc.jp/
The editorial department of Senseup will be reporting Ms. Fujiwara’s activities in multicultural nursing regularly. Don’t miss them!
