Answer Happy

CASE STUDY
An elderly Arab-American Muslim man who
spoke little English was admitted to the hospital
for increasing pain in his left foot while at rest. His
foot was cool and pale, and he had a history of
vascular surgical procedures. He had many chronic
health problems, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension,
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He also had had a myocardial infarction and
several cerebral vascular accidents. While in the
hospital, he developed abdominal pain and underwent
a cholecystectomy. This elderly grandfather
had a large family, including a wife, nine children,
and many grandchildren. His wife insisted that all
family members visit him every day while he was
in the hospital. The family wanted the man’s face
turned toward Mecca (toward the East) while they
prayed with him. They brought tape-recorded passages
from the Koran, which they played at his
bedside. Other families who were visiting their
sick relatives complained to the nurses that the
Arab family was taking up the entire waiting
room, and there was no place for anyone else to sit.
As a nurse, how might you use the three modes
from the Theory of Culture Care Diversity and
Universality to provide culturally congruent care
for this elderly man and his family, as well as for
the other clients and their families in the critical
care unit?