Day 7: CIHA and Cherokee Health

Today, we were back at CIHA for the final time. We began our day in the emergency room, putting the finishing touches on the generous donations we received to be given to children and families in need. It was very heartwarming to see how appreciative they were for the items and to know that they would be making someone’s life a little bit easier.

To finish our clinical day, we were taken to the Kituwah Mound, also known as Cherokee Mother Town. This was where the Cherokee originally settled and is known as a sacred place among their people. It is still used today for sacred ceremonies and has began to be used for new purposes. Often, those struggling with addiction have a very hard time becoming integrated back into society, so they have started a new program called Mother Town. In this in program, residents from the addiction and recovery center come to the mound to work with the land, bringing them back to their roots to help them heal and move forward.

After spending several days in the Cherokee healthcare system, we were able to view several health issues that are prevalent within the Cherokee population. Addiction to drugs and alcohol, diabetes, and obesity were some of the most critical health issues reported by healthcare staff. Healthcare issues within the Cherokee population seem to be most related to culture. In my opinion, one of the most critical issues is substance abuse. To start, the individuals within this population are raised to believe they have no worth, creating issues with their mental health. This low self-esteem combined with trauma and their predisposition to drugs and alcohol contribute to their use. It is very saddening to see the amount of resources they could take advantage of, but don’t because they feel they will never amount to anything, so the vicious cycle continues throughout generations.

One of the main roles of a nurse is to promote the health of individuals and populations. To do this, the nurse must provide individuals with the education they need to help them manage or prevent illness. However, individuals must have the desire to make a change in their lifestyle and feel confident in their ability to care for themselves. This is where the nurse can step in to empower the patient and to provide them with the extra resources or education they may need to be successful.

In this healthcare model, the patient is always at the center of care. Sadly, this is not always the case. As time has gone on, it seems we have lost touch with how to put the importance of caring for the patient holistically as the priority. In providing care for their patients, this culture does something unique. Instead of focusing primarily on their health conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, they place their focus on an individual’s mental health. They feel that if an individual’s mental health is not functioning optimally, none of their other health conditions have the potential to be managed.