Transcultural Nursing Care Within the Chippewa Valley Amish Community

Abstract

Within the United States, Wisconsin contains the fourth largest population of Amish people. Amish communities in Wisconsin continue to grow in numbers, in fact, Wisconsin has had the largest number of new Amish settlements every year since 2000. As the visual appearance of buggies and bulk food stores is becoming more familiar, understanding the unique culture of the Amish is vitally important, especially in health care. The purpose of this collaborative project involving the Eau Claire City-County Health Department and the UW-Eau Claire Departments of Languages and Nursing is two-fold. Local healthcare providers will be educated on local Amish health care practices to provide culturally sensitive care and local resources will be complied for local Amish communities as well as the health care organizations that serve them. To provide the highest level of culturally sensitive care, a comprehensive understanding of the Amish culture and beliefs is integral. The literature will be reviewed with a focus on select health care issues pertinent to the Amish community as identified by the Eau Claire City County Health Department. A presentation will be developed for Chippewa Valley health care providers collaboratively.