ASSESSMENT FORM
Student Name:
Professor Name:
Date of Interview:
Place of interview: HK’s home
Initials or Pseudonyms of Family Members Present for Interview (note: at least two family members must be
present for interview): For the interview HK the mother and JK the oldest daughter were present.
With permission from the family, I used the format of Giger and Davidhizar’s Transcultural Nursing
Assessment (2016) to help guide my interview. HK and her family came to the United States from Somalia to
seek a better life. The purpose of this assessment is to learn more about the Somalian culture and to create
nursing interventions to relieve some burdens the family is facing.
Communication:
• The family is from Somalia they speak Somalian.
• The oldest daughter, JK and her mother, HK participated in the interview.
• The family was very expressive as they spoke. They used their words and their hands as they spoke.
• The mother has a thick accent, and the daughter has no accent when speaking English. JK helped translate
certain portions of the interview.
• The younger children were playing in their rooms. When they would come to where we were sitting the
mother would ask the kids to not interrupt and go and play.
Space:
• Among family and friends the family is not worried about personal space. The family likes to interact with
hugs and holding hands.
• With strangers the family is more aware about personal space but the mother explains that compared to
cultures in the West we like to interact more closely.
• The family likes to eat meals together and JK being the oldest daughter will help with cooking and
cleaning. Traditionally, women take care of the home duties while the male works outside the house.
• HK works at Amazon warehouse. She explains that in America there are more job opportunities and it’s
healthy to work outside of the home because it allows people to socialize with others.
• HK explains because of their Muslim faith she is more careful about space and keeps the conversation and
interactions minimal with men not related to her.
• HK and her family live in a 3-bedroom apartment. JK and her younger sister share a room and her two
younger brothers also share a room.
Social Organization:
• The family is from XXXXXX, Somalia. Like many immigrants, the family came to the United States to
seek a better life and escape the civil war within the country.
• In Somalia HK was a stay-at-home mom. HK’s husband owned a local shop and sold a variety of
household items.
• The main food is rice with a side of meat or beans and salad. Somalian tea with sweets are usually served
for dessert.
• The family roles for wife and husband are traditional. HK raises the kids and cares for the home while the
husband is the main breadwinner. Being a truck driver HK’s husband is gone a lot.
• JK states that she doesn’t like to cook and wants to marry a man who knows how to cook and doesn’t
expect her to cook.
• For leisure all the family members kind of do their own thing. The parents like to listen to news going on
in Somalia, they like to read the Quran, and attend the mosque. The older children are active on social
media and like to hang out with friends. The younger two like to play games on electronics or watch
youtube shows.
• The family practices Islam. HK wears a burka that covers her whole body except her hand and face. The
girls wear dresses and a head covering when out in public. The family attends Friday prayer and the adults
in the family regularly read the Quran. The kids are also attending Quran classes on the weekend.
• There is a big Somalian community in Minnesota. HK expresses she has a few good friends who she
knows that are also Somalian whom she likes to spend time with.
Environmental Control:
• HK expressed that before going to the doctor their family will first try natural remedies.
• The main thing that HK could not stop talking about was honey and how it could heal almost everything.
She explained they use it for wounds, stomachache, and cold symptoms.
• Quran recitation and prayer are also used as healing tools in the family.
• Black seed oil is also used by this family for medicinal purpose. HK explained that many Somalians will
mix honey and ground black pepper and take a spoonful each day prophylactically like you would daily
vitamins.
• HK explained that health is the most valued blessing a person can have. Health is defined by this family as
being free from mental and physical ailments.
Biological Variation:
• Somalians like most East Africans have dark brown to light brown skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. Most
Somalians are thin. Eating home-cooked meals is what HK attributes to why the family members’ weight
is within normal limits.
• In their family there is a history of throat cancer, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
• HK and JK disclosed that JK’s father’s throat cancer came back, and the doctors said it was stage 4.
• The family recently learned about JK’s father’s diagnosis and was still very emotional about the subject.
Nursing Interventions: must be family & culturally
oriented, use bullet points (Minimum of 3).
Why Chosen: use bullet points, include 3 or more
peer-reviewed citations to support.
• I referred HK to the community center where
English classes are held.
• I suggested that HK tell the religious leader, Imam
about her husband’s diagnosis for two reasons.
• HK expressed that her English is not good and that
most of the time her kids interpret for her. Taking
classes would help her improve her English and give
her the confidence to navigate her daily life better.
• First, the Imam can announce to the mosque-goers
and request prayers for her husband. Second, the
Imam is aware of what is going on in the community
and may be able to connect the family with other
people in the Somalian community who has dealt
with cancer and there might even be a support
group. It takes a community to deal with health-care
needs and those who share a similar background are
• I printed throat cancer information in Somali. I also
educated the mother and daughter that at doctors’
appointments they can request written information
in Somali from their healthcare provider so the
mother can read it.
• I encouraged the family to incorporate physical
activity and leisure activity by going to the YMCA
a block away from their apartment.
better equipped with caring for each other (Denham
et al. 2016).
• The parents don’t speak English fluently so having
health information written in a language they can
understand will help this family make informed
decisions regarding their healthcare (Odunukan et
al., 2015).
• HK expressed feeling tired all the time. She also
talked about how the cancer diagnosis has brought
stress and sadness into the house (Wilhelm et al.,
2021). Going to the YMCA will allow the kids to
swim and the mother to exercise and get away from
the stress. Many studies show that exercise is
beneficial for overall well-being but in the case of
this family, “exercise may provide a distraction from
negative thoughts and stress” (Leila et al., 2023).
Evaluation of Nursing Interventions: (What was the
family’s reaction to nursing interventions).
Describe your thoughts on experience of doing the
assessment.
• HK liked the idea of telling the Imam but said it
was her husband’s choice because it is his
diagnosis.
• HK explained that on rare occasion she has had
nurses print out health information in Somali.
She said she hesitates to ask for written
healthcare information because she understands
most of what the healthcare professionals are
saying. For the “serious” visits, HK said she
will make sure she has a Somali interpreter.
• JK was especially thrilled to start going to the
YMCA. HK was hesitant about attending
YMCA related to the cost of membership. I
encouraged HK to talk to the center because the
cost might not be as high as she thinks, and they
might base it on family income.
• This assessment caught me by surprise.
• I did not expect the family to disclose that the
father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I was
tense after hearing the news. I especially felt sad
for JK who is graduating from high school in
less than two months. JK has to bear such heavy
news at a significant moment in life when she
should be celebrating and planning for the next
chapter of her life.
• I wish I could do more to help this family.
Revision of Nursing Interventions – what would you
revise based on the family’s reaction?
How is this family part of a marginalized population?
explain
• Looking back at the interventions, I suggested I
should have included other ways to get physical
activity, instead of just going to the YMCA.
• For example, just getting out of the house and
taking a walk, even though Minnesota weather
• This family is part of a marginalized population
because the family’s culture is not the dominant
culture in the community they live in.
• Access to healthcare for this family is not
comparable to those of their white American
neighbors simply because of who they are and
is cold now. Another thing I could’ve suggested
was using the gym the apartment complex
offers.
because of how society has been operating for
centuries.
• Lack of cultural competency by the healthcare
system is another reason why this family is
marginalized
What have you learned about analyzing &
responding to conditions of marginalized
populations through this unit?
How will you respond to conditions of marginalized
populations in your nursing practice?
• What I’ve learned is to care for marginalized
populations I must first understand who I am and
my culture.
• Through self-awareness I can get rid of any biases I
hold so I can care for my patients effectively.
• During the assessment phase nurses must regard the
patient as being the expert of their culture and
listen.
• Nurses need to put what they think they know
about a patient’s culture aside and listen to what the
patient is saying about their culture.
• Also pay attention to nonverbal messages the
patient is portraying.
• I will perform a cultural assessment so I can base
interventions on the patient’s needs.
• I will have patients when a client acts or
responds to health care service in an unexpected
manner.
Culturagram
Family
Mother: HK
Oldest daughter: JK
Father and 3 young kids under
14
Legal Status:
Somali-
American
citizens
Time in
community:
11 years
Heath Beliefs:
Prefer to use
natural remedies
like honey, ginger,
black seed. Prayer
and Quran
recitation also used
for healing.
Impact of crisis
events:
Family still processing
father’s cancer
diagnosis. Relying on
Gods will. Undecided
about risky surgery or
chemo.
Contact with cultural and
religious institutions:
Family practices Islam.
Holidays and Special
Events:
Eid Al adha
Eid al fitri
Celebrating weddings,
graduation.
Reasons for
relocating:
Family fleeing
violence in
Somalia.
Pursuit for
better life.
Values about
Family:
Respect for elders
and parents.
Caring for each
other.
Values about Education
and Work:
Education is valued
also working to care for
family and contributing
to society.
In traditional Somali
culture men are
expected to work
outside of the home,
women are expected
to care for the home.
Culturagram Template by Congress,
2005
Language(s):
Somali, English
References
Denham, S., Eggenberger, S., Young, P., & Krumwiede, N. (2016). Family-focused nursing
care. F.A. Davis Company
Lilia, K., Souheir, B., Mohammed, K., Eddine, R. D., & Asma, I. (2023). The effect of physical
activity on the mental health of the individual. HIV Nursing, 23(3), 243–246.
Odunukan, O. W., Abdulai, R. M., Hagi Salaad, M. F., Lahr, B. D., Flynn, P. M., & Wieland, M.
L. (2015). Provider and interpreter preferences among Somali women in a primary care
setting. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 6(2), 105–110.
org.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/10.1177/2150131914552846
Wilhelm, A. K., McRee, A.-L., Bonilla, Z. E., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2021). Mental health in
Somali youth in the United States: the role of protective factors in preventing depressive
symptoms, suicidality, and self-injury. Ethnicity & Health, 26(4), 530–553.
org.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/10.1080/13557858.2018.1514451
