American Indian Health and Nursing

American Indian Health and Nursing

The average life expectancy of a male born on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota today is somewhere in the mid-40s-the lowest life expectancy of all peoples not only in the United States but the entire Western Hemisphere. Written by and for nurses, this is the first text to focus exclusively on American Indian health and nursing. In fact, it is likely the only nursing book to even mention American Indian health as a distinct entity. The text addresses the profound disparities in policy, health care law, and health outcomes that affect American Indians, and describes how these disparities, woven into the cultural, environmental, historical, and geopolitical fabric of American Indian society, are responsible for the marked lack of well-being among American Indians. American Indian nurse authors, natives of nine unique American Indian cultures, address the four domains of health- physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional-within each region to underscore the many stunning inequalities of opportunity for health and well-being within the American Indian culture compared with "Anglo" culture. In an era of cultural competency, these expert nurse authors bring awareness of what is perhaps the least understood minority population in the United States. The text covers the history of American Indians with a focus on the drastic changes that occurred following European contact. Included are excerpts from relevant journal articles, historical reports, interviews with tribal health officials, and case studies. The book addresses the roots of American Indian nursing, including coverage of indigenous knowledge and traditional approaches to health and healing. It examines current issues surrounding American Indian nursing, nursing education, and health care within 10 distinct American Indian cultural populations, including a crucial discussion of the health care needs of American Indians living in urban areas.