00:00
Hi, My name is Jill Beavers-Kirby and today
we are gonna talk about the religious
and spirtual influences on health.
00:11
So what's the difference between
religion and spirituality?
Well, spirituality often refers
to one's own interpretation
and spirituality can be subject to feelings
or emotions or feelings of
connectedness upon another.
00:30
Whereas religion is a communal feeling.
00:33
It may involve rituals and it has
practices and memberships.
00:41
So what are some other differences
between religion and spirituality?
Well religions can affect
behavior and health habits.
00:49
Whereas spirituality can affect
and regulate your emotions.
00:54
Now they can overlap each other.
00:57
But the words really
aren't interchangeable.
01:01
So what are religious influences
on a patient's health?
For example: Kosher meats or
other kosher prepared foods
might be required by some.
01:12
On the other side, some people might
have to avoid meat and dairy.
01:17
Or some people might be
required to fast during
certain religious holidays.
01:23
Some other religious influences
may affect what healthcare
items they are permitted to use
For example some people can not use
electrical appliances
during certain religious
periods or during certain times of the day.
01:36
It will be very important
to talk to your patient
about what their preferences are.
01:41
So what are some ethical issues that a nurse
might face with religions and spirituality?
The first thing is, it's very important
to remember that you don't have to
agree or disagree or be a
member of their religion or
even think along the same lines of their
spirituality to take care of this patient.
02:00
From a nursing stand point
the ethical issues include:
Beneficence and Justice.
02:07
Beneficence refers to doing
what's a best for a patient.
02:13
What is gonna be the best
thing for the patient's welfare?
You can do that whether or not you
agree with their religious beliefs.
02:21
The other ethical issue as a
nurse you might face is Justice.
02:25
Simply, nurses need to promote justice
for everyone, the patient,
their family, their community
even other healthcare workers.
02:36
I can't stress to a nurse
that you don't have to agree
with their religion
or their spirituality
to take care of patients.
02:44
So how else does religion and
spirituality influence somebody's health?
Well one thing can be
their health behaviors.
02:53
What they are eating? You kinda worry
talked about the kosher meats, the fasting
avoidance of meat and dairy.
02:59
Are they allowed to engage an alcohol?
Or they allowed to smoke?
What about drug use? There
are some other issues that
can affect health behaviors.
03:08
Social support is also very important.
03:11
A person's religion and spirituality
can also affect their social systems.
03:16
Do they have a large communal feeling?
Do they a large church group that they can
rely on for support and help of meeting.
03:24
And there is also the
psychological support.
03:27
There are actually being studies done.
03:29
That show people who have a sense
of religion or spirituality
are optimistic. They are more faith based.
03:37
They have positive attitudes
and they have a positive mental health.
03:41
So what about communication differences
in religion and spirituality?
Different religions have different
communication preferences.
03:51
Its important to remember this.
03:53
So the status of somebody
in their religious community
the age, their gender, all may affect
their communication patterns.
04:02
Sometimes the female is not allowed to
speak directly or even looked directly
at a male or a healthcare providers
somebody in an authoritative position.
04:14
Some also look at facing-saving communication.
04:18
This allows a patient to
maintain a good self image.
04:22
So you don't wanna say anything bad in front
of the elder in their religious community.
04:27
Some cultures that use face-saving techniques
are East Asian, African and Hispanic.
04:34
Some cultures have a communication hierarchy.
04:38
So the eldest in the group
would be the one who speaks for everyone.
04:43
Or it might be the male, the eldest
male in their family, might do the
speaking for every one.
04:50
What about nonverbal communications when
it comes to religion and spirituality?
You have to remember that
certain cultures look upon
eye contact in different ways.
05:00
For some religions its okay to
look somebody directly in the eye.
05:04
Whereas for some the females are not allowed
to look directly in the eye to anyone.
05:09
You don't wanna upset the whole family
by looking somebody in the eye when they shouldn't
or talking to the one member of the family.
05:16
Another issue is degree of personal space.
05:19
Some cultures its okay to be very close
when you are talking to somebody
very upfront, very in their face.
05:25
Some cultures want you to
step back a little bit.
05:27
The little bit further way to keep
that personal space a little open.
05:31
Another issue you have to consider is
how much touching is permitted.
05:35
I think some nurses are
very very touchy freely
and some nurses not so much.
05:41
But you don't wanna offend
your patient or their family
if you are doing too much
of the touching freely.
05:47
Or even, sometimes even a handshake
is not the right thing to do.
05:51
And lastly how much information can you share?
Some cultures and religions don't want
you to sharing all the information.
06:00
For example i work with cancer patients
and i have had a family say "please don't use
the word "cancer" in front of my family member".
06:07
It makes a very difficult
and it isn't ethical issue.
06:10
But we abide by the family's wishes.
06:13
And finally communication tempo.
06:16
How quickly you talk to somebody can also
be a religious or spiritual issue.
06:22
Communication patterns may be very very fast
that can be offensive to some.
06:28
Sometimes just walking by somebody and saying
"hi, how are you?" is just a simple "hello" for some
where it may be an invitation
for that person to stop
having a nice 30 minutes chat with you
when that's really not what you are
intended at all. So you have
to be aware of how you speak into patients
and help to speak to patients.
06:49
Just kind to remember that on average a person
speaks about 140-160 words per minute.
06:56
Thank you. This is been Jill Beavers-Kirby
discussing religious and spiritual influences.