REPLY 1
Patients that we care for can come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. Despite of their religious backgrounds, all patients need to be treated with respect according to their religious beliefs. In the case of this scenario with Sister Marry, while providing patient education, it is important for the health care professional to be culturally and spiritually sensitive with her religious belief. The first thing the staff must do is assess the situation, since Sister Mary is a catholic nun she may not feel very comfortable with certain things, and this should be addressed. Knowing that patient is a nun, I might include asking her if there are any personal request of what she needs that would make her more comfortable to comply.
In Sister Mary’s case she may harbor certain beliefs about nudity, the gender of her care provider, as well as revival method requests. This is why it is imperative to take a patient survey, or have her fill out a questionnaire so medical staff can be better antiquated with her needs. Before the examination an appointed staff member should meet with Mary and discuss the procedure in detail so she understands what is going to occur. Throughout this process Mary should be encouraged to ask questions or let the staff know of any special requests. Once this has been completed it will be necessary to have Mary sign documents affirming she is aware of what is going to transpire, and that she understands her part as the patient. Even reaching out to other staff may be helpful to see if anyone has knowledge or background in the Roman Catholic faith. Any religious restrictions should be discussed and noted clearly in her chart so other staff she may interact with is aware. Taking care of the patient is the number one priority, and as long as requests are not too demanding they can most likely be met.
It is very essential for health educator to understand the psychosocial factors, personality types, and the patient’s self-perception while providing patient education. The psychological factors in patients would include the age of the patient, the past experiences and expectations, and attitudes about the illness (Grand Canyon University, 2007). Health care provider should assure Marry about the confidentiality of her health information because Marry as being a nun may feel unfree to assess her physically if assurance of privacy and confidentiality not provided. For instance, in the patient education planning, we as a professional should consider their timing of regular rituals, such as regular attendance at Mass or special observance of special holy days, may be highly stressful to Catholic patients. In addition, we can involve contacting clergy and/or a hospital chaplain to convince her with further education or treatment planning if required.
Reference
Plante, T. G. (2003). “Psychological consultation with the Roman Catholic Church: Integrating who we are with what we do.”Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22, 304-308.
Grand Canyon University. (2007). Psychosocial factors and patient education. Retrieved on November May 23,2018 from https://lc-ugrad3.gcu.edu../user/users.html?
REPLY2
As healthcare professionals we will treat people from every religion, ethnicity, and age. It is important to take into consideration everything that comes with the patient such as spiritual beliefs and religious considerations. For example, with Sister Mary, since she is a Roman Catholic Nun, she may be uncomfortable with certain things that need to happen. As her nurse I would try to stay wither the whole time or ensure a female is with her to help her through her procedures. During the neural examination, I would ask spiritually appropriate questions that would help assess if she is neurologically intact, while respecting her privacy. Moving onto the physical assessment I would ask her what would make her comfortable during this as I would have to inspect her whole body. I would educate her that this needs to be done to assure there are no further injuries. Maybe have another Sister in the room or just one female nurse. During the X-Rays I would educate her that we are specifically looking at the bones in her face to assess the injury and develop a plan of care once again further. During the CT of her head, I would once again explain to her that as long as there is no metal in her hat or clothes she can remain in them if it makes her feel more comfortable. I would explain we are looking for injuries on the brain that may have occurred due to the mechanism of injury.
I would educate her before everything and during everything as well as explaining everything again afterwards. It is also important to listen to Sister Mary as Roman Catholics believe illness is a punishment from God (Swihart, 2020). By having a priest come see her, it may help her through prayer cope with what is going on as sacrament by a priest is important for the sick in this religion. Also ensuring she has her rosary may lead to patient comfort during all this.
“When individuals and systems work together to provide a positive environment of cultural competence that meets the religious and spiritual needs of patients, the outcome for patients improves, and the system as a whole creates a more positive healthcare environment.” (Swihart, 2020)
Swihart DL, Martin RL. Cultural Religious Competence In Clinical Practice. [Updated 2020 Mar 27]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493216/