Vital Signs
Cross-Cultural Guides for Treating Muslim Patients
Waves of immigration from the Middle East and Arabic-speaking Asian countries throughout the 20th century have created sizable Muslim populations in many parts of America. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cedar Rapids and Dearborn, Mich., are just a few examples of major cities that have large Muslim communities. Like other minority populations in the U.S., Muslims of Arabic descent have their own unique cultural and religious beliefs about health, illness, birth and death that can create barriers to effective treatment if they are not understood or respected by health care providers.
To help nurses and other health professionals provide culturally competent care to Muslim patients, the Transcultural Education Center (TEC) in McLean, Va., offers several publications, videos and other resources for care providers. TEC, an independent consulting firm, is the brainchild of Egyptian-born nurse Gihan ElGindy, RN, MSN, a nationally and internationally recognized cross-cultural educator and consultant.
Brochures and booklets created by ElGindy include A Muslim Patient in an American Hospital: A Care Provider Guide. The booklet focuses on understanding the Muslim patient’s perspective regarding such issues as health, illness, Islamic remedies, dietary restrictions, circumcision, autopsy, perception of the care provider’s role and more. Another care provider guide, Death and Dying Across Cultures, is a 24-page pocket-sized reference addressing beliefs about death and dying in six different religious cultures--including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jehovah’s Witnesses--and how nurses can respond with cultural sensitivity to the needs of these patients and their families.
TEC also offers the brochure Seeing Through the Veil (a guide for employers and employees about understanding the Islamic dress code and other Muslim cultural issues in the workplace) and a 15-minute video, Health Issues in Islam. New publications currently in development include Birth Across Cultures and The Islamic Medical Professional’s Pocket Guide.
For more information, or to order products, visit the Transcultural Education Center Web site at www.tecenter.org.
Featured Content
JOB POSTING
POSITION: Associate Degree Nursing Faculty (2) EMPLOYER: Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas DESCRIPTION:Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas is seeking qualified applicants for two (2) Associate Degree Nursing Faculty positions. These are full-time, nine month positions, with full college benefits:
1. Stuttgart Campus – Satellite Program
2. Helena Campus
READ MORE READ ALLSCHOLARSHIP
SCHOLARSHIP: National American Arab Nurses Association OFFERED BY: NAANA Scholarships DESCRIPTION:Offers various scholarships for current nursing students, practicing nurses, and students interested in pursuing a career in nursing.
Phone: (313) 982-4070
Web site: https://n-aana.org/scholarship/index.asp
Deadline: July 1, but may vary from year to year
Amount: Unspecified
EMPLOYER
NAME: University of Washington Medical Center LOCATION: Seattle, WA DESCRIPTION:Located in Seattle, University of Washington Medical Center provides comprehensive primary care services and serves as a regional referral and treatment center for specialized medical care. Recognized as the first Magnet* hospital in the U.S., our commitment to nursing excellence has been honored for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time — the only hospital in the world to achieve this — and serves as a testament to our dedication to our staff.
READ MORE READ ALL