Essay on Accommodating Muslims in the Healthcare Setting

Health in all cultures is an important aspect of life. A person’s cultural background, religion and/or beliefs, greatly influences a person’s health and their response to medical care (Spector, 2004). These diverse cultures guide decisions made in daily life; what food eaten, living arrangements made, medications taken and medical advice listened to. A nurse must be knowledgeable and respectful of these diverse cultures and understand their importance when providing care. This understanding helps to build a strong nurse/patient relationship, increasing patient compliance, which ensures positive outcomes are met. Patients who are satisfied

Another thing that could be an issue among Egyptian patients could be their cultural response to pain. From the time I started nursing school I was taught that pain is subjective. People experience and respond to pain in different ways and this can certainly be influenced by their culture. As the nurse we have to learn to cope with our feelings towards this issue and treat the patient, not the symptoms. Egyptians in particular try to avoid pain by seeking interventions as soon as possible. They can be both verbal and nonverbal about their pain, but they tend to be more reserved in front of healthcare professionals as opposed to their families.” These conflicting behaviors are confusing to health-care professionals

Historically, Muslim interaction with our healthcare is tangled between religion and their history in our country. Specific believes have always played a role in the ability for women to attend a health care establishment or undergoing daily assessments from a health provider.

This study focuses on the culture of Arab Muslim living in the United States. Arab Muslim population is one of the dramatically increasing minorities in the United States. In addition to other factors, religion and cultural background influence individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes toward health and illness. However, in Muslim community health care is viewed uniquely and treated same way across the board (Najeh M Ahmad, 2004).

Additional research may be required on the Enrolled Nurse’s part, this is for the benefit of the Enrolled Nurse to gain an understanding of the patient’s culture and apply that level of understanding to the patient. This could be as simple as allowing time for religious practices, for example praying at certain times of the day, or providing appropriate food choices. This action on the Enrolled Nurse’s part is also mentioned in the Code of Ethics that all nurses adhere to within the work place as quoted below;

The religion of Islam prohibits the consumption of pork products and alcohol. Use of medications such as heparin, which contains porcine protein, are contraindicated for the Muslim patient (Skidmore-Roth, 2016, p.

After completing the “cultural competence checklist: personal reflection designed by T.D. Goode” for the first time, I was not surprised by my results. The results were a reflection of my personal understanding how culture impacts holistic care and my continuous need to improve my care. I have strived to become non-judgmental. I work to not let my personal beliefs and values influence my nursing care on decisions. When I practice this philosophy it provides better patient outcomes and promotes an improved understanding of cultural differences. This also enhances a safe and caring environment. “It is important for health care providers to recognize that care must be individualized and considerate of the cultural. Racial, and ethnic identity of the patients and their families” (Broome, 2006, p. 486) .There is much diversity in the beliefs and practices of the Indian culture and we should grant these individuals complete freedom to practice their personal cultural variations and the religion they choose.

Muslim American faces many discrimination because of their faith, but many people are not aware of the characteristics that makes the Islamic faith. People make assumptions about what it means to be Muslim, and that often results in offending the Muslim’s culture. It’s crucial as future practitioners that we understand the culture of our client. For example, to help a client with an Islamic faith, we first have to understand their cultural background, and their religious background.

I am determined to eliminate health disparities and improve the care delivered to Arab American communities by bridging language and cultural gaps in medical practice. My unique bicultural background will allow me to break many cultural barriers that exist in our healthcare system. Growing up in the Middle East and the United States gave me a profound understanding of the unique aspects of both cultures. In addition, my experience of writing and publishing Arabic short stories in the U.S. has allowed me to forge strong connections with the Arab American community. Translating research articles from English to Arabic also equipped me with the

In the Journal of Transcultural Nursing, it talks about the disparities in health care to the Arabic population. It is a qualitative study to try and comprehend nurse’s knowledge when caring for this patient population. One’s beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes toward health and illness are radically influenced by religion and cultural background. This population is at a higher risk for several diseases and faces many barriers to accessing the American health care system. Some barriers, such as modesty, gender preference in healthcare providers, and illness causation misconceptions, arise out of their cultural beliefs and practices (Odeh Yosef, 2008). We need to know these religious and cultural factors to deliver culturally competent health care as in the near future, Islam is expected to be the second largest religion in the United

The United States population has been described as a “melting pot” and continues to increase in diversity. A patient’s culture has a significant influence on how their health care should be provided. It is vital for nurses as health care providers to be culturally competent and knowledgeable of the patient’s culture to deliver appropriate, holistic care (Potter & Perry, 2011). This paper will discuss the Arab culture and focus mainly on what to do and not to do as a nurse rendering care to an Arab patient.

Health care providers need an understanding of and appreciation for the cultural and religious beliefs of all patients to provide optimal care for them. As the United States population increases, so does the number of American Muslims. As a result physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals will more frequently encounter Muslim patients. Nationwide there are approximately 6 to 8 million Muslim Americans. Muslims face several barriers when communicating with other individuals.

Muslims have some values that are practiced on a normal day basis. One is their five prayers a day ritual. During five different times of the day, which are the main changes of the day, Muslims everywhere engage in a daily prayer. While in a medical center, it is still expected that the person engage in the prayer. There are different acts to do with each prayer and they should fulfill each, as much as they can. If they are not in the condition to carry out the prayer, then another Muslim is to assist them (Muhammad, 2015). Another religious tradition is the holiday known as Ramadan. Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar (Office, 2015). The known task of Ramadan is to fast during the day. The ill and elder are exempt, if they are not physically in the condition to participate (Latin, 2015). Other values are based on gestures and contact. Some Muslims find it disrespectful to point using the index finger (Office, 2015). This is a common offense to people that aren’t Muslims as well, so try to avoid pointing in this way just in case. Another gesture to avoid, is summoning someone over with the palm of the hand up. Also, when providing food for the patient, be

With the ever increasing diversity in America it is imperative that nurses have a general understanding of differences within cultures. The Islamic culture is one that is increasing rapidly. To date there is an estimated 8 million Muslims in the USA. Being culturally aware of the differences will better prepare the nurse when meeting the patient for the first time and developing the initial relationship and respect. When the patient has full trust and knows the nurse respect his or her culture they will be more at ease during their stay. Understanding the Islamic culture difference including privacy, communication, dietary and end of life care are important.

Being culturally competent is essential in the health care field. The Interfaith Panel Discussion video between Rita Peskowitz and Nasar Alsharifc was tremendously eye-opening to me especially during the discussions over the Islamic faith because I know very little about it. The video and the lecture given over these three faiths has not only helped me to compare and contrast them but also to relate to them. I now see many similarities between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This helps me to be more understanding when caring for a patient with a different religion than my own. The best way to be culturally competent as a health care provider is to continue my education on the many different religions that I may come across in my career.