The religions of Islam and Judaism share many similarities. This is an excellent example of an organization displaying what we can call true cultural sensitivity and multicultural customer service. area, I enjoy visiting the cafeteria at the World Bank to sample its array of international foods and its “eat around the world” atmosphere. For example, some hospitals are beginning to rethink their approach to food services by including menus that accommodate the dietary requirements of America’s growing Muslim population.Īs a resident of the Washington, D.C. Therefore, health care organizations must adjust their often inflexible policies to be more people-oriented, rather than system-oriented. Eating during sickness needs to be a very positive experience for all patients. The challenge for us as caregivers and patients’ advocates is that in many health care facilities with rigid policies, efforts to meet these special dietary needs may require a creative twist and a team effort to make it happen.Įating food is not only a necessity of life but also a pleasant and social practice that everyone expects to enjoy. To be culturally competent health care providers, nurses must not only be aware of patients’ religious dietary mandates but work very hard to accommodate them. For the patient who is a strict observer of his or her religion, any violation of their dietary requirements can be perceived as an actual challenge to the utmost supreme authority–whether it be God, Buddha or Allah–and can impact negatively on their recovery and their level of satisfaction with the health care facility. Therefore, when caring for a multicultural patient population, nurses need to be aware that some patients’ special dietary needs play a major role in their healing process. Adhering to these guidelines helps followers of these religions feel assured that they are eating what is best for their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Many religions forbid certain food items, have strict requirements about how food should be prepared and have special dietary practices that must be observed.
And if we are people who practice a particular religious faith, we eat what is most in agreement with our beliefs. Simply, we eat what we believe is good for us and what we think tastes good–attitudes that are primarily shaped by our family upbringing, our culture and our personal preferences. “We are what we eat.” It’s a statement we’ve all heard, but as nurses we need to understand what it really means for us and for our patients.