Hospital Nurses’ Experiences of Providing Care for Muslim Patients in the United States

Abstract

Introduction: Understanding a patient’s culture is imperative to providing holistic patient care. The purpose of the study is to describe and explore the lived experiences of non-Muslim hospital-employed registered nurses providing care for Muslim patients in the United States. Method: This study used a qualitative exploratory research design based on semi-structured interviews utilizing Husserlian phenomenology. A snowball technique was used to recruit the participants. Results: Ten nurses who cared for hospitalized Muslim patients were interviewed and three major themes emerged from the participants’ narratives: Nurse–Patient Relationship, Nurses’ Knowledge and Western Health Care Systems, and Family Influence. Discussion: Muslim patients have cultural expectations and differences that may not be anticipated by nurses, which affects nurses’ experiences when providing care. As the Muslim population continues to grow in the United States, there is a need for increased education on culturally congruent care to assure the highest quality of nursing care.