Culture and religion in nursing: providing culturally sensitive care

Introduction

• Nurses must care for patients from diverse cultures and religious faiths.
• Nurses themselves will also hold their own cultural perspectives and may also hold religious views, which will undoubtedly impact on the nurse-patient relationship and a nurse's ability to deliver high-quality patient care.
• Understanding how one's own beliefs can stand in the way of this objective, and taking steps to ensure they do not, is something all nurses hopefully strive for.
• Equally, an awareness of patients’ cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and traditional customs, as well as, perhaps most importantly, respect for their feelings in decision-making regarding care and treatment regardless of the nurse's own personal feelings, are vital to truly compassionate person-centred care.

Context and Examples

There will be times when the wishes of a patient and their family may conflict with what health professionals feel is in the patient's best interest. Sometimes, the patient's feelings will simply need