Essay On Holistic Care

Holistic Care for Islamic Patients
According to nursing handbooks the goal of nursing is to serve people in health and illness. To achieve these goals nurses must be aware of the patient’s cultural practices and values. The American Holistic Nurses Association states, “Caring is important for the human growth, development and survival and it has helped human beings through cultural evolution.” Therefore, in order to deliver care holistically, an understanding of the patient’s culture and religion is necessary. Individuals belong to certain community, so they learn ways to adopt the world around them from their community. Therefore, their cultural norms and standards influence all aspects of their life, including health and illnesses. For example of some of the things that shape people’s cultural structure include, economics education, culture and religion. These statements in mind, the impact on their belief …show more content…
One example, having hospitalized Muslim patient will require some knowledge about Islam. Caring and supporting patients are the routine in hospital wards, nevertheless Muslim patient may want spouse or close family member of same sex like brother, sister uncle, aunt and to help them during toileting and bathing. However, if patient have no close relatives, it is highly encouraged to have a care provider of same sex when options are in place. Another important aspect of Islamic culture is oral hygiene. On one occasion, the prophet Mohammed said, “If I had not found it hard for my followers, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth for every prayers.” This suggests the importance of oral hygiene in Islamic culture and how the prophet promotes good oral hygiene. Therefore, a Muslim patient will appreciate a nurse to help with these practice. Following these oral practices will help build better patient relationships and health