Just Ask!!

“Tell me about you.”

Living in Cape Breton, we come across people from different cultures every day. As nursing students and future nurses, we have a responsibility to provide them with the best care possible. In religious studies, we were taught that for a Sheik, his hair is sacred, It would be very disrespectful to remove your patients turban or disrupt his hair unless absolutely necessary. In the Muslim culture, the head is sacred, and so touching your patients head should be avoided unless necessary. There are some cultures where direct eye contact is prohibited. It may seem daunting to research every preference of every different race and religion. I think what is more important, is making a commitment to give the most culturally congruent care possible. When in a situation where you have a patient from another country or from a different religion, you should do your research. Or here’s a thought… JUST ASK.

Sometimes, we are so afraid of offending someone that we avoid having the conversation all together. This creates more of a communication gap between the nurse and patient and is a hindering to the therapeutic relationship.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying to your patient “Is there anything that I should know about your religion or your culture that will help me to give you the best care?” Who wouldn’t want to hear that?

Unfortunately, this gap even exists between fellow Cape Bretoners. Especially between Native and Non-Native Capers. In class this evening we made a list of basic things that health care providers should know. We must keep in mind, that everyone is different, Native people from different communities have different religions and different traditions. Not all Natives living in Cape Breton speak english as a first language. Again, the most polite, appropriate thing to do is to ask. But for now, here are a couple of examples from my classmates. Number’s 7, 8, & 9 can be applied to patients from all cultures.

A Few Tips:

1. Some people will not make prolonged eye contact. We should respect this. It should not be mistaken for disrespect, or dishonesty.
2. Mik’maq people are generally more stoic. There is no Mik’maq word for pain. Pain is a sign of weakness. We as nurses must be creative in assessing a person for pain by looking for physiological signs and symptoms other than facial expressions.
3. Touch is not always therapeutic, explain procedures and ask permission before touching your patient.
4. Offer extra support to your patient in the evenings. Many Native people are afraid of dying at night.
5. A person’s friends and community are considered apart of their family, make an effort to accommodate visitors specially during end-of-life care. This is very important to your patient and their family.
6. Learn about commonly used herbal medicines and know possible drug interactions.
7. Provide holistic care
8. Don’t tolerate racism in your workplace. Better yet, lets lead by example and help to create change in our district by having a zero tolerance policy for ignorance. Speak openly with your patient about your desire to help them heal and treat people with respect.
9. JUST ASK!!! Don’t make assumptions about someones culture or religion based on outward appearances. Ask your patient about their own personal story and cultural preferences.

Here is a quick link to tips about providing care to patients from other religions: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/pastoral/resed/diversity_points.html