Did you know…?

Filipinos may be stoic when it comes to pain, so health care providers should not always rely on the expression of pain to determine a patient’s level of discomfort. Some patients may have a high pain threshold, whereas others will moan as a way of expressing pain. Filipinos also tend to be fearful of becoming addicted to pain medications. They prefer medications by mouth or through an intravenous drip over shots. The best strategy is to offer pain medications as ordered. Warm compresses may also be offered as necessary.

- submitted by Joy Cantuba, BSN, RN, CCRN, MICU Clinical Nurse III

Call for Submissions:

The Presby Bulletin is pleased to launch The Diversity Minute, a new column sponsored by the Cultural Diversity Committee that aims to encourage employee education around cultural diversity in health care. We invite you to share an interesting fact about your culture that can be read in a minute or less. Be sure to tie your cultural fact to health care or patient care. Surprise us! Make us say, “I didn’t know that!” If your item is selected for publication, you will receive a $5 gift certificate to the Presby Gift Shop. E-mail submissions to Bette.Haitsch@uphs.upenn.edu. Thank you for sharing your culture!

 *The information provided in this column should be used as a general reference, the beginning point of assessment for learning about patient cultural values. It should by no means serve as a behavioral predictor or in determining treatment.