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Case Study: Faith and Health

2 October, 2015 - 15:12

Abdul Hadi is one of the 3 million Muslims living in Germany today. He has had surgery and is recovering from his operations in a hospital near his home. Anna is his nurse and is increasingly frustrated with his behavior and having to accommodate his needs. His behaviors and needs are as follows:

  • Because of the nature of Abdul Hadi’s surgery, it is difficult for him to take a shower or bathe himself. When preparing for prayer, he needs to cleanse himself. He needs assistance and Anna is there to provide help, but he refuses to have her help. Finding a male nurse to help bathe Abdul Hadi has been a challenge, as all of the male nurses work different shifts and are already assigned to other patients.
  • As a devout Muslim, Abdul Hadi does not eat pork. Medication provided to him must not have any pork products or alcoholic substances; he is only allowed specific medications and treatments containing these products as dictated by Islamic law.
  • Abdul Hadi also has special dietary needs. Because much of the cafeteria food contains pork products, gelatin, or lard, in one form or another, it is hard to find food that fits his needs while ensuring he stays healthy and strong.
  • Abdul Hadi has many relatives that visit him; as a result, the patients that share his room complain about the noise and level of activity.
  • As a Muslim, he prays and needs the space to do this. He needs to have a nurse help him get out of bed. Sometimes he has called Anna to help him, but because she is attending other patients, she does not come in time to assist him.

You are Anna’s supervisor. You want her to be able to work with Abdul Hadi and to provide him with the best care.

  1. Using what you know about cultural intelligence, analyze the situation.
  2. For each of the five behaviors and needs outlined above, find a strategy, or strategies, to resolve the issues.
  3. Determine what your hospital needs to do to ensure patients are addressed with care and compassion.