Seventh Day Adventist Church

The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination that observes the Sabbath (a holy day of rest) on Saturdays (like Jews) rather than on Sundays (like most other Christians). The group focuses especially on the Second Coming of Christ, which they believed would be imminent and would result in the faithful being taken to the Promised Land. Like other Protestant groups, they hold firm to the idea that Scripture is infallible, that there are Three Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity, and that there will be a resurrection. This paper will discuss the beliefs, hopes, traditions, etc. of the Seventh Day Adventists.
The Church was formed in Maryland in 1800s but it has since become international with over 20 million members worldwide. They have 28 Fundamental Beliefs, which are similar to Trinitarian Protestantism and include belief in justification by faith alone, baptism by immersion, and a literal interpretation of the Bible. They believe that the Law is embodied in the Ten Commandments given to Moses, that the soul is not immortal and that death results in a loss of consciousness (until the resurrection).
Adventists do not work on the Sabbath. They will not engage in secular forms of recreation on the Sabbath, prepare meals or any such thing. They will, however, go for walks, partake of family activities, do charitable works, and have potlucks. Typically, a Sabbath School Lesson is held on the Sabbath, which is like a small Bible study group. The Church service includes a sermon, singing, Bible reading, prayer and tithing.
Health and wholeness are very important to Adventists, so diet is a particular consideration of the group. Vegetarianism is often promoted among Adventists (Fraser, 2003). Their health focus includes adhering to the same kosher laws that are observed by Jews and which stem from a reading of Leviticus. They abstain from eating pork and anything else that is described as unclean. Adventists are discouraged from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco or marijuana (or using any illegal drugs for that matter). Some also forbid coffee, tea, soda and anything with caffeine (Phillips, 1975). According to Buettner (2005), Adventists in California live nearly a decade longer than the average Californian because of the low-fat diet that is typical of Adventists.
Adventists believe that marriage is a sanctioned by God and that same-sex marriages are unlawful. They hold that marriage should be based on the Biblical example set by Adam and Eve—one man and one woman. However, they do accept homosexuals in their church and they encourage everyone to treat the gay community with love and respect. They believe in abstaining from sex until marriage. They do not approve of abortion but do approve of birth control for married couples. They have socially conservative views towards dress and believe men and women should dress modestly. They tend to oppose piercings and tattoos and typically do not wear jewelry. They avoid dancing and libidinous rock music.
As far as the afterlife is concerned they do not believe that there is one for the wicked, who are destroyed (they do not believe in Hell). They believe that the saints are resurrected and enjoy Heaven following the Second Coming. Adventists do believe in miracles and often share stories about the miraculous.
As Leininger (2008) points out, understanding the culture of other people is important when it comes to practicing quality care nursing. The whole idea of transcultural nursing is to pay attention to others’ cultures so that as a nurse one can take special care to be sensitive and respectful towards their beliefs and to practice in a way that meets their expectations. For example, it would be insensitive of a nurse engaging in transcultural care to recommend a dinner of pork chops to an Adventist recovering from surgery in the hospital. Or it would be unwelcome of a nurse to suggest that an Adventist go see a movie on a Saturday as a way to relax from stress. A nurse who is engaging in transcultural nursing has to know what is important, off-limits, and acceptable to people of other cultures.
That is why it is particularly helpful to understand a cultural group like the Seventh Day Adventists. They number approximately 20 million throughout the whole world so it is highly likely that a nurse will at some point come into contact with an Adventist during his or her course of care. Knowing about the culture can help the nurse to keep certain issues in mind. Adventists have specific ideas when it comes to health, particularly to diet, smoking and drinking alcohol. They are modest and do not want to be seen in immodest attire. They do not advocate that unmarried girls use birth control as it indicates that premarital sex is okay, when they believe that all sex should be reserved for married couples. So for a nurse to recommend birth control to an unwed Adventist girl as a way to treat difficult menstruations would be an unacceptable approach to care. Transcultural nursing is about being informed so that respect and sensitivity can be shown at all times.
In conclusion, the Seventh Day Adventists are a group that has only been in existence for just over 100 years—but they have grown rapidly all over the world after beginning in Maryland. Their practitioners tend to try to lead health lives because of their belief in the human being filled with the Spirit. They are social conservatives at heart. They enjoy being in nature, resting on the Sabbath, which they identify as Saturday, and taking care of the whole person.
References
Buettner, D. (2005). The Secrets of Long Life. National Geographic, 208(5), 2–27. 
Fraser, G. E. (2003). Diet, life expectancy, and chronic disease: studies of Seventh-Day Adventists and other vegetarians. Oxford University Press.
Leininger, M. (2008). Transcultural nursing: Its importance in nursing practice. Journal of cultural diversity, 15(1), 37-43.
Phillips, R. L. (1975). Role of life-style and dietary habits in risk of cancer among Seventh-Day Adventists. Cancer Research, 35(11 Part 2), 3513-3522.