HA3001: Cultural and Genetic Influences on Health Competency Discussion competency discussion
I once took care of a patient from a foreign country that did not speak English and his wife spoke very little
English. They were in the ICU for about a week and they were Jewish and very devout. They had
specific diet
restrictions and would eat only Kosher foods. The husband had been flown to the US to have surgery on his brain
and his wife and daughters were at his side. In order to take good care of him I was able to speak with the
daughter and wife concerning the health history, diet and any practices that we could accomadate for this
patient. The wife began to exhibit more and more confidence in the staff. We were able to provide her with a
Kosher diet and discussed the diet plan for her husband as well. As we were able to communicate more with the
family they seemed to trust us and we were able to take care of this family and patient until the day of discharge.
Communication is the key to breaking down barriers when taking care of a patient from another
part of the world
and a patient that has religious dietary needs.
