Patient Diversity in Healthcare

[AmaurosisFugax]

I am not a nurse but as a former pharmacology instructor & currently working in medical/nursing publishing, I am exposed a lot to healthcare issues. A few days ago I was at a conference on "diversity & sensitivity training in healthcare". The focus was on patient/healthcare provider relationship. I was somewhat disconcerted at the condescending attitude of the speakers (many of them were academic people or of diversity training companies). They felt healthcare workers should respect cultural differences to the point if a pt asks for providers etc of a particular gender or religion they should be accomodated. (Well they werent supportive of race-based accomodation, so it seemed more geared towards some particular religions). One speaker even felt it might be reasonable for a male pt to request female nurses to cover their faces in front of him if his religion so dictated!

I have a huge problem with these seminars; first, many of these companies are close to law firms (so the real intention seems avoiding lawsuits rather than teaching both sides cultural sensitivity). Second, nurses don't ask whether a pt is Methodist or Muslim or Hindu or Republican when cleaning up their vomit, urine, when making sure they get the right medication...that is truly treating people as equal. And as a minority myself both religion & ehtnicity-wise (which is why I got away with some challenging questions without being called insensitive, but it bothered me someone else could have asked the same legitimate questions & being called a racist!) Anyway it also seemed the professors seemed to have no idea of the intensity of a nurses' work or to have a whole lot of respect for nurses as professionals (I have been in academia, I know many professors feel their theoretical knowledge trumps 'real life' & they respect only people with doctorates:angryfire). And finally, my faith is not my employer's business, wouldn't asking a nurse or therapist or CNA what his/her faith is in order to match with a pt be discriminatory? In the business world if a client wants to work only with males or Christians or say Uzbeks that would NEVER be entertained!!

[EmmaG, RN]

I've worked with various cultures and religions over the years, and have never been asked to cover my face or had a patient request that a nurse of a particular religion care for them.

Being aware of cultural and religious diversity isn't that difficult, and I've not had it negatively impact my job. It's not a matter of 'treating people as equals', but rather taking into account their differences. It can be as simple as allowing for dietary restrictions, providing privacy during prayer, acknowledging family dynamics and hierarchy.

I think you may be making this out to be far more complex than it truly is.

[AmaurosisFugax]

I think you may be making this out to be far more complex than it truly is.

I was reporting the speakers' opinions. And they do have healthcare institutions as clients.

I agree with you the issues you mentioned should definitely be respected, & they don't infringe anybody else's rights.

[Nat Hyland]

a nurse should still be entitled to do his or her work in a safe and correct manner. Political correctness that prevents a nurse from conducting her practice appropriately, should not be accepted.

As a person who has had 7 operations in my 35 years, I entirely understand the embarrassment a patient may feel while certain procedures are carried out or questions are asked. However, as a personal care attendant (and nursing student) I am aware of why certain procedures must be carried out in a certain manner (for instance to avoid transfer of infection). I also realise that nurses (like doctors) have a purely objective viewpoint when it comes to treating patients (or should have). Therefore, a patient's cultural, religious, or other beliefs do not affect the way in which a patient's illness is treated. All patients should be treated equally.

Nat.