Conflicts with pt's family due to religious views?

Absolutely13 · May 3, 2008

My only post mortem was by the book. Clean and ready to go, with the same respect as if it were a relative. I had no religious direction for the persons wishes and did the best I could.

I took a world religions class, but it didn't help in this case.

Nightcrawler, BSN, RN · May 3, 2008

A couple of months ago we had a patient placed on comfort care that passed before her family could arrange to take her home on hospice. The patient and her family were Native American. When the patient passed they went out and bought new clothes to dress the deceased in, performed complicated cleansing rituals using water that they had brought from the reservation while praying over her body. They washed her hair several times, brushed and braided it, then dressed her in the new clothes and wrapped her in a beautiful woven blanket. All of this preparation took over 12 hours to complete.

When they were done with their preparations and their goodbyes, they arranged for transport back to the reservation for burial. They asked that she not be placed in the shroud for transport, but did consent to having her wrapped in a sheet. Some of our transporters balked at this deviation from hospital policy, but we made it work. Some of the nurses on the floor were actually willing to transport the body themselves to make sure that the families wishes were honored.

Did they do things that were outside of the norm? Yes. Is it against hospital policy to keep the deceased in the room for that long? Yes. Was there a potential for conflict, especially due to the length of time that the rituals took after the patient passed? You bet. But the reality is that no one was harmed by making allowances, and the family was able to honor their mother and say goodbye in the way that made them most comfortable. At the same time, every nurse on the floor learned a great deal that day. I don't think I will ever forget that patient or her family, and I was honored to be able to witness true family centered care actually work

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · May 3, 2008

I just finished my psych class and I had a question. We were discussing different religious views and traditions about death. For example, some believe you do not touch the person after they have died, you place the person on the floor to die, etc. What are some of your experiences with this topic.

As long as families are forthcoming with the staff about any specific practices and rituals, the facilities I've worked at have accomodated them to the best of their ability. When communication breaks down, misunderstandings occur.

That being said, I've had patients from many different cultures and backgrounds die and there were no special instructions from the family to the staff. Any religious preparation took place after the funeral home picked up the deceased. We just did our post mortem care according to policy.

Blee

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · May 4, 2008

My only situation like this was Native American as well. We had a severe diabetic that had an amutated leg below the knee. She died that night around 3am and the family wanted her amputated leg to bury with her. We had no idea how to find that limb. We finally had to find the pathologist to find out where it wsa He had to come in and he was mad mad mad. I have never seen someone that mad over coming in in the middle of the night. He wasn't going to come in until the CEO and the chief of staff ordered him in.

nightmare, RN · May 4, 2008

Here is a link to some of the death rituals around the World.Although China is not mentioned here I believe that they like to be buried with all their limbs etc.Do hospitals have a policy of asking amputees what to do with limbs etc?

http://www.deardeath.com/death_rituals_across_cultures_.htm

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · May 4, 2008

I've never had it come up. I became a nurse in a area that is 99% white and Christian in a town with one funeral home.

:)

nightmare, RN · May 4, 2008

I've never had it come up. I became a nurse in a area that is 99% white and Christian in a town with one funeral home.
:)

Oh yes,me too!

flashpoint · May 13, 2008

I've always thought that the family's wishes should be respected, but that the staff should not have to carry out the wishes if it interferes with their own beliefs.

A lot of LTCs around here require a "bedside memorial" service after a resident dies. There is a book of poems we can read, plus a few prayers we can read or songs we can sing. I personally refuse to lead the service...my church doesn't allow females to lead prayers or preach if men are present and I hate the idea of "canned" prayers. I made it pretty clear when I interviewed that I wouldn't do it and most of the time, they are pretty good about it. I do go to the room during the service, which really seems hypocritical to me, but it stops a lot of questions and people being angry because I didn't go.

When I had my children, I put it in my birth plan that if my child were to die after birth that they were not under any circumstance to perform an emergency baptism as they normally would per hospital policy. That offended a few people but oh, well...it was my baby, my decision.

achot chavi · May 19, 2008

Unless they hurt someone else I believe that we are obligated by out professionalism to respect each person, their religious beliefs- whether pertaining to death or birth or post surgery etc, This makes us better professionals and better people. Hope this helps>