Any Muslim Nurses/Student Nurses in Allnurses?

[Florence NightinFAIL]

Hi,

I'm muslim pre-nursing student and I wear the hijaab. I would love to know any Muslim nurses/student nurses that I can ask some questions regarding the hijaab, uniform, dealing with patients, and going through nursing school as a muslim.

There are a few specific questions I would love to ask.

So come out! :)

[MB37]

I was curious about that too, since in our "culture" lectures we're told that Muslim women generally request to be cared for by female nurses...we also have one girl in our class who wears the hijaab and long sleeves under her uniform. Any public school, at least, will make reasonable accomodations for anyone to observe their religion.

[birdgardner]

There is so much variation in Muslim women's dress. In my OPINION, the shalwar kameez is beautiful but the burkha and the abaya are not. And some Iranian women make the manteau and head scarf very stylish, but the most stylish were being chased and beaten by Iranian police lately.

Some of the clothing is compatible with safety, mobility and comfort, and some is not.

For me, the niqab goes too far. It says, "I don't trust you to see my face. You are apart from me." I don't trust someone who doesn't trust me that far to be caring for me or my family the way a nurse does.

Charleta gives one analysis of the rules for caring for men but Islam is not monolithic and Jawhara might have another. Caring for non-Muslim women might even be an issue for her.

There is another issue, that of hearing impaired patients (or fellow health care workers and staff) who rely on reading lips to make up the deficit.

[Euskadi1946]

I love to learn about different cultures and customs. Thanks so much to our Muslim sister/brother nurses for sharing their culture with us. :)

[banditrn]

There is so much variation in Muslim women's dress. In my OPINION, the shalwar kameez is beautiful but the burkha and the abaya are not. And some Iranian women make the manteau and head scarf very stylish, but the most stylish were being chased and beaten by Iranian police lately.

Some of the clothing is compatible with safety, mobility and comfort, and some is not.

For me, the niqab goes too far. It says, "I don't trust you to see my face. You are apart from me." I don't trust someone who doesn't trust me that far to be caring for me or my family the way a nurse does.

Charleta gives one analysis of the rules for caring for men but Islam is not monolithic and Jawhara might have another. Caring for non-Muslim women might even be an issue for her.

There another issue, that of hearing impaired patients (or fellow health care workers and staff) who rely on reading lips to make up the deficit.

Birdgardner - I never thought about the hearing impaired - my husband reads lips a lot of the time.

[jawharah, ADN, BSN, RN]

Assalaamu alaykum....Hi everyone. Wow I feel popular. I have a ?. Who "spoke" a non-English words? Did I miss something?

For Birdgardner and everyone wondering about my "mask" (niqab), well this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I have worn the veil for 5 1/2 years and it has really become a part of me. Even though the ruling goes that I CAN take it off (it is optional) but like I said it has become a part of me. However, if I somehow can't make it work, then I will remove it while at work. Cultural tolerance IS a two-way street, but this is more than a culture to me. Culture to me is something that is done simply because the people in that area do it. This is different; this is RELIGION, a belief system. That said, since people aren't as used to Muslim women in niqab, until they do, I will accommodate them as much as I can.

In the future, I plan to work with women/kids, but I will cross that bridge when I get there, God willing.

As far as the niqab/abayah NOT being "pretty" or whatever, to each their opinion but in the Muslim world (the PIOUS Muslims anyway), the more a woman obeys her lord and follows her religion, the more beautiful she is. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who cherishes her body and preserves it, at the same time forcing the world to see her "mind" and who she is inside.

I have spent half my life here, always observed Islamic dressing, and I have always been able to do anything and everything! People who react to me in a certain unpleasant way when they first see me, change their minds about me very quickly when they get to know ME. Just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, so to speak.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I for one think it is great that so many muslim women are entering nursing. When I work in a big multi-cultural city in the UK years ago, we actively recruited muslim women to come train and be nurses because there was a huge need. We had big problems and had very few applicants mainly because the muslim community frowned upon their nurses entering the nursing profession. I do believe however this was a time when the dress code was very strict in nursing and all nurses (female) wore dresses and hats.

Now of course in recent years trousers are the normal uniform in the UK. One thing however in the UK you have to have shorter sleves and cannot wear anything on your lower arm when tending to a pt, ie no sweaters etc because of infection control.

Re the uniform here, the muslims where I work now wear normal scrubs and long long lab coats buttoned up which preserves their modesty and respects their religion.

For the record the muslim women I have met and worked with are some of the most gentle, caring people I have ever had the good fortune to know.

[Fiona59]

I honestly think some people here are mixing up "culture" and "religion". The niquab is a cultural requirement, usually tribally based. It screams infection control issues.

The Muslim patients in my area range for very conservative to the "I don't eat pork" and that's it type. What is most noticeable is the newly arrived Muslims are far more "female staff only" than those who have been raised here or are of a different educational status.

We remember only too well the husband who demanded that no males be allowed into the room his wife was in. No male cleaners, doctors, nurses, or husbands/visitors to the other patients. The charge nurse pointed out that the on-call that weekend was male and he basically told her to find a female OB to treat his wife. Hospital relations got called in and the next thing we knew the wife was discharged. Luckily her condition wasn't life threatening but more of a precaution due to her recent departure from a refugee camp. We never saw them again and I've always wondered who delivered her and which hospital in town would have accomodated his requests and behaviours.

Like I said culture not religion.

[Charleta]

Assalaamu alaykum....Hi everyone. Wow I feel popular. I have a ?. Who "spoke" a non-English words? Did I miss something?

For Birdgardner and everyone wondering about my "mask" (niqab), well this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I have worn the veil for 5 1/2 years and it has really become a part of me. Even though the ruling goes that I CAN take it off (it is optional) but like I said it has become a part of me. However, if I somehow can't make it work, then I will remove it while at work. Cultural tolerance IS a two-way street, but this is more than a culture to me. Culture to me is something that is done simply because the people in that area do it. This is different; this is RELIGION, a belief system. That said, since people aren't as used to Muslim women in niqab, until they do, I will accommodate them as much as I can.

In the future, I plan to work with women/kids, but I will cross that bridge when I get there, God willing.

As far as the niqab/abayah NOT being "pretty" or whatever, to each their opinion but in the Muslim world (the PIOUS Muslims anyway), the more a woman obeys her lord and follows her religion, the more beautiful she is. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who cherishes her body and preserves it, at the same time forcing the world to see her "mind" and who she is inside.

I have spent half my life here, always observed Islamic dressing, and I have always been able to do anything and everything! People who react to me in a certain unpleasant way when they first see me, change their minds about me very quickly when they get to know ME. Just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, so to speak.

Jawhara,

The non-English words are the ones we used, like the Islamic greetings and 'masha'Allah', etc. I admit I'm so used to writing and speaking like this that I forget.

To all here, I mean absolutely no disrespect and I offer my apologies.

BTW, I understand about the niqab (or face veil) as I used to wear it myself and, as you mentioned, it does become part of you! But I eventually decided to part with it due to the change in my lifestyle, i.e. school. So, I understand exactly where you are coming from.

I don't know how this works, but I wish I could e-mail you as I would enjoy hearing more about the community where you live.

Take care, everyone!

[firstclass]

i am a muslim RN. I do not observe hijab. But i dress modestly. I love being a nurse. I work in long term care and I think it is the best area to work.

[Unavailable]

Hi

im a Muslim male nurse and i know of at least two other MMNs here in melb aust and being an area of necessity i work with both male and female pts. ive never had a problem swappin pts that request females. i was in hospital for the birth of all 4 of my kids we requested female doctor and they said they would do their best to accommodate and only for the 2nd child that wasnt possible. the male doctor come in once and after doing the usual checks was happy and said he would only come back if required we understood times of necessity and accept that. so all 4 of our kids were delivered by wonderful mid-wife nurses. i have a longish beard and thats never been a problem even when i worked in theatre just needed two masks to fit my beard in =/. and i work my breaks around my prayer times.

i do believe it would be harder for the female muslims not because of the dress code so much but due to ignorance and uncompromising attitudes of some people. people like to throw around 'infection control' when Muslim women don't want to uncover their forearms. do you say the same for doctors who don't roll up their shirt sleeves? some wouldn't even have the guts too. even when looking into the niqaab or face veil if secured correctly it shouldn't be any more an infectious issue then any other clothing even surgical mask and hearing isn't a problem try it yourself with a sheet/ surgical mask.

well hopefully as more people from different cultures/religions enter nursing these sort of issue will come a thing of the past we just need to be a bit more accommodating rather then my way or the highway.

[CHATSDALE]

let us hope that we live in a world that embraces all the people and utilizes all talents

[Nursebarebari]

I just came across this old thread and feel that I should post a reply. I just want to say that I was born muslim and have always been one. I do not cover my face at work, but I always wear long sleeves jacket on my scrub and my pants are all very roomy. I cover my head with a scarf and I have never had a problem with any patient or a staff member. Infact, I get along with everyone at my job.

Good to know there are muslim nurses aboard allnurses.