Care Through Culture

The Philippine healthcare system still needs improvement in terms of the lack of healthcare facilities and services, leading to reliance on traditional or alternative medicine for communities in far-flung and marginalized areas, becoming part of their culture. Another healthcare trend in the United States was micro-hospital growth in suburban areas. From this, there is the need to create a facility that provides the services but is also contextual to the community where the facility is located. Thus, a combination of a micro-hospital and a nursing theory in creating a prototype micro-hospital.

The project adopts the Ethnonursing Research Method by Madeleine Leininger from the selected theory. Polangui, Albay, was the selected community for the prototype of the project. Through community interviews, case studies, and literature reviews, design solutions were created for the selected community through the Three Nursing Care Desisions and Actions. The proposed micro-hospital can be expanded for future use of the facility and cost considerations. Additional spaces were considered, such as a community laboratory, herbal medicine garden, and open information triage area, in consideration of the use of traditional medicine, wherein it must be verified and understood. The multi-faith room and prayer room are separated as consideration of the growing population of non-Catholics. A social work station is provided in consideration of getting financial help and other means. A visiting area near inpatient and open information triage located within the lobby to encourage social interaction as part of the community's culture. A community health report station adjacent to the lobby is provided for faster delivery of health information from the community to the facility during outbreaks and the like. The interior and exterior design of the facility adopted warm and welcoming interiors resembling a house in the community to provide the users with holistic healing along with the provision of green spaces like herbal medicine garden. Overall, these design solutions reflect not just the basic healthcare need but incorporate understanding the cultural needs that adopt, correct, and maintain the practices and beliefs of the selected community for the proposed micro-hospital. Thus providing the community with a culturally competent healthcare facility by undergoing this theory.