Understanding the Islamic faith and beliefs is necessary to provide Muslim patients with high-quality care. It is logical to anticipate that nurses are more likely to encounter Muslim patients, given the growth of the Muslim population in various regions of the world. However, there are many different linguistic, ethnic, and cultural groupings within Muslim communities, each with unique cultural traits and outlooks on health and sickness. Because of this variety, nurses and other healthcare workers continually face difficulties caring for Muslim patients.
When dealing with Muslim patients, healthcare workers should adhere to certain norms wherever feasible. This involves avoiding direct eye contact and physical touch between a medical worker and a patient of the opposite sex. Additionally, male doctors might need to speak with her spouse if the patient is a woman. For instance, if a male healthcare professional is telling or questioning a patient while her partner is there, but she is not responding, the healthcare professional should ask the patient if she would prefer him to speak to a partner instead. This can put any doubt to rest and is typically not disrespectful.
The health professional should be of similar sex when performing the physical examination. There are several situations when this will not be achievable. In these situations, the patient should feel more at ease if a third person in the room is of the same gender. The basic rule of thumb is to inform the patient that the clothing must be taken for analysis but that it will be returned immediately if someone of the opposite sex does a physical examination. This reduces exposure and informs the patient of the rationale behind removing any garment.
Reference
Oakley, S., Grealish, L., el Amouri, S., & Coyne, E. (2019). The lived experience of expatriate nurses providing end of life care to muslim patients in a muslim country: An integrated review of the literature.International Journal of Nursing Studies, 94, 51–59.