The culture I chose to write about is the Muslim culture. A Muslim is a follower of the religion

An individual’s heritage is about his culture, history or personal experiences it is important to recognise and respect them because it is what makes him individual and unique. If we know them we provide a person centre care and focus on individual’s choices and preferences, he will then feel valued and included.

Exactly what is considered as a Muslim? A Muslim is defined as a believer in Islam, however a Black Muslim is considered as a member of the nation of Islam. A follower of the religion of Islam, as Muslims, means one who submits to god. Muslims came in the seventeenth century with slaves from Africa. The history of Muslim Americans goes back more than 400 years. America is called home for the Muslims, they present as taxi drivers, homemakers, and also entertainers. Muslim Americans make up at least one percent of the U.S. population (“Teaching Tolerance”).

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

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.

When treating a female patient who is Muslim, which of the following would be important to consider for their appointments?

Sometimes a translator may be of the highest regard. Though needing a translator is possible, it is unlikely due to the fact that most Lebanese are fluent in two or three languages. “While Arabic is Lebanon’s official language, English and French are widely spoken” (“What languages are spoken in Lebanon?,” 2012). When communicating, it is important to have limited eye contact with the client. Staring or displaying frequent directness can be interpreted as rude (Muslim Culture, 2014). “Muslim Culture,” further informs: “calling them by their first name or their last name without the prefix of Mr., Mrs., or Miss is considered impolite among Muslims” (2014). To show respect for the patient’s privacy, a nurse should always knock before entering the patient’s room (Muslim Culture, 2014). Also keep in mind, shaking the head back and forth to say “No” means “Yes” in the Middle East (Muslim Culture, 2014). Though this fact is noteworthy, it is likely that a person from the Middle East living in or visiting the United States understands the American meaning of this action. Furthermore, people from the Middle East usually dress in a more reserved fashion than Americans; long dress, long sleeves, raised neckline, and head covering. If the hospital gown provided is not to their needs, they should be permitted to wear

As heath care providers we need to keep mindful of the care we provide to several different religious traditions. It is up to the health care professional to respect and understand the ideals that affect our patients and their family members. In this paper we will compare the philosophies of three diverse faiths. The faiths chosen are Islam, Christian Science and Buddhism, and how they compare to Christianity. We will learn about basic beliefs, spiritual perspectives on healing, and the components of healing such as meditation, prayer and other rituals they follow. Furthermore,

A big concern for Muslim patients while in the hospital is medications. There are several medications Muslims are prohibited from taking. Certain cough syrups cannot be taken due to the alcohol in it, for Muslim law forbids alcohol consumption (Al-Oraibi, 2009.) Muslim patients may also refuse medications containing gelatin, which is often derived from pigs (Al-Oraibi,

Health maintenance and health protection. In the American culture, individual attend follow up appointments and yearly exams for their health maintenance and protection. In Pacific Islander culture health maintenance and health protection are not always pursued initially, but they do not refuse health preventions either. Children get their immunization shots to help prevent disease and families also attend follow up appointments and exams (D. Perez, personal communication, October 27, 2013). In Islamic culture, they do not pursued health maintenance or health protection, individuals that live in Jordan and even those brought up in America stick with family traditions of attending Mosque for their educational schooling. The Mosque does not require immunizations for children. In Jordan, families live in close net community and when someone gets sick they seek the guidance of the eldest member of their community. This is in part done due to financial issues and partly done due to their traditions (A. Hammad, personal communication, October 30, 2013).

Practitioner should be aware of their own personal values, beliefs and attitudes and be organized to adopt the professional values and not impose the personal thoughts on the patient. For example: Talking about Muslim people, hijab and telling them that they are terrorist with patient this might influence them in a bad way, because if the patient will have the Muslim doctor or Muslim carer the patient will not feel comfortable with them and this can have risk on their life.

Every culture is different and perceives the world differently. Cultures are inherited and a learned behavior. Everyone has a cultural heritage. This heritage assessment tool is helpful in understanding the different practices, distinctness and traditions of each individual.

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.

In addition, individuals identify clearly with the heritage of the group through religious beliefs and social values. If their culture doesn’t allow a specific behavior, they stick to the tradition.

Despite popular assumption, Islam is actually quite a progressive religion. Bioethics are not set in stone, although some scholars as well as Muslims do have strong opinions about certain bioethical subjects. In the twentieth century, there was a very limited amount of resources in the field of Islamic bioethics. The twenty-first century has marked an influx in research on Islamic bioethics from both Muslim religious scholars as well as studies conducted by academic researchers (Ghaly 592). In the field of religious bioethics, there tends to be a significant amount of coverage on certain topics. In Islam in particular, scholars and the public alike readily discuss abortion and euthanasia (Brockopp 3). Although Islamic customs emphasize the importance of community, Islamic theology in general promotes the individual, not communal, salvation. This means that in many situations, there are guidelines for how one should act, but individual circumstances can differ – therefore warranting a private and individual action. Westerners often overlook this aspect of Islam, as there are a lot of misconceptions revolving around Islam and the Muslim identity. In this sense, despite there being general rules or guidelines Muslims tend to adhere to, there is still a heavy balance between the general rules and individual circumstances; meaning that bioethics can not be approached from only one view.

Culture is not only a reflection of current social phenomena, but also is a long period of accumulation and the formation of the creation and development of the historical heritage, such as religions, beliefs, lifestyles, values, and so on. Therefore, different cultural backgrounds will