Investigating patients' attitudes toward receiving care from an opposite-gender nurse

Gender influences on caring, dignity and well-being in older person care: A systematic literature review and thematic synthesis

Globally, healthcare has become dominated by women nurses. Gender is also known to impact the way people are cared for in various healthcare systems. Considering gender from the perspective of how lived bodies are positioned through the structural relations of institutions and processes, this systematic review aims to explore the meaning of gender in the caring relationship between the nurse and the older person through a synthesis of available empirical data published from 1993 to 2022. CINAHL, PUBMED, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched from the beginning of each database's temporal range, and PRISMA guidelines were used for the screening, reviewing and selection processes of available records. A thematic synthesis of the available data resulted in three analytical themes: (i) vulnerability of the gendered body, (ii) norms and values related to gender and sexuality and (iii) balancing closeness and distance in the nurse-patient relationship. These themes are intertwined and represent different aspects of gender meaning in the nurse-patient relationship. This research shows that gender, through its influence on the gendered body, its relationship with power dynamics in the caring process, and its intersection with dimensions of identity, has a significant meaning for the experienced vulnerability in the nurse-patient relationship. This has implications for the well-being and sense of dignity of the older person as well as the nurse.

Hospital Nurses' Experiences of Providing Care for Muslim Patients in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Understanding a patient's culture is imperative to providing holistic patient care. The purpose of the study is to describe and explore the lived experiences of non-Muslim hospital-employed registered nurses providing care for Muslim patients in the United States.

METHOD

This study used a qualitative exploratory research design based on semi-structured interviews utilizing Husserlian phenomenology. A snowball technique was used to recruit the participants.

RESULTS

Ten nurses who cared for hospitalized Muslim patients were interviewed and three major themes emerged from the participants' narratives: Nurse-Patient Relationship, Nurses' Knowledge and Western Health Care Systems, and Family Influence.

DISCUSSION

Muslim patients have cultural expectations and differences that may not be anticipated by nurses, which affects nurses' experiences when providing care. As the Muslim population continues to grow in the United States, there is a need for increased education on culturally congruent care to assure the highest quality of nursing care.