Patient education is an essential concept in health care to ensure patient needs are met based on their values and beliefs. In this regard, Sister Mary, a nun, has to have her religion prioritized as she progresses from department to department. It is essential as it helps healthcare professionals appropriately identify and understand Sister Mary’s priorities, beliefs, and perspectives (Fereidouni et al., 2019). This information ensures that the caregivers, in her case, create patient-centered plans and make readjustments whenever there are any emerging trends. Additionally, Sister Mary must be informed of every procedure, and she should be encouraged to ask questions and make requests if she has any reservations on the processes (Paterick, Patel, Tajik & Chandrasekaran, 2017). However, it is still essential to ensure that the procedures are assessed for any unprecedented reactions. It is also imperative to include any religious restrictions in her chart to ensure other medical staff who interact with her are aware of her concerns. These steps ensure that the patient is appropriately educated to ensure positive health outcomes.
Apart from patient education, it is also likely that health care professionals may have reservations about working with Sister Mary. They may be caused by age, attitudes, and past expectations and experiences (Hayward et al., 2020). For instance, if a young nurse is assigned to Sister Mary, they may have different beliefs and perceptions on how patients should be treated. Similarly, if the given health care worker attending to the nun had a bad experience with nuns as a child, the memories may affect how they deliver treatment. Another reservation may arise in speaking to the individuals who accompanied Sister Mary to the hospital. This is because she may have been with other sisters who may not be her blood relatives, yet in hospitals, health care professionals are restricted to speaking to the next of kin or family (Hayward et al., 2020). However, regardless of the reservations, the health care professionals dealing with the nun must stick to their professional duty and deliver quality care.
References
Fereidouni, Z., Sabet, R., Hariri, G., Kuhpaye, S., Amirkhani, M., & Kalyani, M. (2019). Moving into action: The master key to patient education. Journal of Nursing Research, 27(1), 6-8. Web.
Hayward, S., Dowd, J., Fletcher, H., Nellums, L., Wurie, F., & Boccia, D. (2020). A systematic review of the impact of psychosocial factors on immunity: Implications for enhancing BCG response against tuberculosis. SSM – Population Health, 10(1), 100-122. Web.
Paterick, T., Patel, N., Tajik, A., & Chandrasekaran, K. (2017). Improving health outcomes through patient education and partnerships with patients. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 30(1), 112-113. Web.