Understanding religious beliefs of patients needing a stoma

Abstract

The delivery of health care does not happen in a vacuum. Health is very much part of a person’s life that will involve upbringing, culture and faith. One of the challenges in stoma care is to bring to a multicultural society a high quality of care that will meet the appropriate needs of the patient. Cultural sensitivity is an affective or attitudinal construct. A person’s attitude about themselves and others and their openness to learning along cultural dimensions are central to cultural sensitivity. Cultural diversity is a fact of life. As the world responds to easier and faster global travel it is inevitable that nurses will meet and care for people from different parts of the planet. In a multicultural, multi-faith society, it is essential that care is offered in a way that respects and accommodates everyone’s cultural and religious needs. In this article, Pat Black addresses some of the issues that should be considered when bowel surgery, particularly stoma surgery, is undertaken on patients who have distinct cultural and religious beliefs.