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Caring for terminally ill Muslim patients: Lived experiences of non-Muslim nurses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2016

Gassan Abudari ,
Hassan Hazeim  and
Gilda Ginete
Gassan Abudari*
Affiliation:
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Hassan Hazeim
Affiliation:
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Gilda Ginete
Affiliation:
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Gassan Abudari, P.O. Box: 3354, Riyadh 11211, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: gabudari@kfshrc.edu.sa.
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Abstract

Objective:

The nursing profession demands knowledge, awareness, and experience regarding the ethnic, religious, cultural, and social constructs involved in patient care. Non-Muslim nurses must have theoretical and empirical insights into treatment methods and caring for terminally ill Muslim patients. In particular, non-Muslim nurses should acquire knowledge of Islamic rules and regulations. They should also be familiar with the unique religious and sociocultural practices that pertain to healthcare practices. Our study aimed to explore non-Muslim nurses' experiences in caring for terminally ill Muslim patients and their families regarding physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and religious practices. The study also sought to investigate the context or situations that influence these experiences as described by the nurses.

Method:

In this qualitative descriptive study, 10 nurses working in medical, oncology, and oncology/palliative care units in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia were interviewed. A modified Stevick–Colaizzi–Keen method was employed for data analysis.

Results:

Three main themes constituted the nurses' lived experiences: family matters, end-of-life practices, and nurse challenges. Cultural values, religious practices, and a family approach to the process of care influenced nurses' experiences. Issues related to an absence of palliative care integration and the unavailability of members in the interdisciplinary team also influenced their experiences. Nurses showed a lack of cultural knowledge of some practices due to a lack of awareness of cultural diversity and the unavailability of formal cultural education.

Significance of Results:

Provision of culturally competent care at the end of life for Muslim patients in Saudi Arabia requires a thoughtful understanding of religious and cultural practices as well as knowledge of the role of the family throughout the care process. The introduction of a cultural care nursing delivery model that incorporates a cultural education program with Islamic teachings and practices at its core is recommended.

Keywords

End-of-life care, Cultural care, CommunicationMuslim patientsIslamic practices
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , December 2016 , pp. 599 - 611
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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