A student nurse assigned to a female, observant Muslim patient noticed her discomfort with several of the male health care providers. She wonders if this discomfort is related to the pa-tient's religious beliefs

Question

In her preparation for clinical, she learned that Muslims differ in their adherence to tradition, but that modesty is the "overarching Islamic ethic" pertaining to interac-tion between the sexes (Rabin, 2010). The student nurse states which of the following to the pa-tient? a. "I'm going to request that you only have female physicians see you. Does having male nurses bother you as well?"
b. "I know that it's hard to get used to, but you just have to get used to it. That's how it is in America."
c. "It must be difficult for people like you to adjust to our ways, but there are limita-tions for all of us."
d. "I know that for many of our Muslim pa-tients modesty is very important. Is there some way I can make you more comfort-able?'

Answer 1

D
Delivering culturally congruent care to individuals and communities requires specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Nurses who provide culturally competent care bridge cultural gaps to pro-vide meaningful and supportive care for all patients. The student nurse states to the patient, "I know that for many of our Muslim patients modesty is very important. Is there some way I can make you more comfortable?" The student did not assume that the information will automatically apply to this patient. Instead, the student combined her knowledge about a cultural group with the attitude of helpfulness and flexibility so as to provide quality patient-centered culturally con-gruent care.