Search

Because of globalization, immigration, and mass exodus from countries due to political conflicts, there is an ever-changing mix of people with diverse cultural backgrounds who require institutions to provide continuing education to ensure that effective services are provided to everyone. Part of the transcultural challenges involves religion, socioeconomic differences and languages, and ethnic backgrounds that differ. The objective of this study was to examine whether a transcultural training program for undergraduate nursing students in Israel could enhance students' cultural competence. In this study, 319 senior undergraduate nursing students were asked to complete the Transcultural Health Care Screening Questionnaire as a measure of their cultural competence. The students' cultural competence was satisfactory but less than it had been in previous years. The authors suggest that cultural competence needs to be considered as a contextual, developmental, and experiential process that requires ongoing attention and curricular revisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of the level of religious observance on the attitudes toward end‐of‐life (EOL) decisions and euthanasia of Jews in Israel—where euthanasia is illegal—as compared to Jews living in the USA, in the states where euthanasia is legal. A self‐reporting questionnaire on religiosity and personal beliefs and attitudes regarding EOL care and euthanasia was distributed, using a convenience sample of 271 participants from Israel and the USA. Findings show that significant differences were found in attitudes between Jews of different levels of religious observance with respect to patient autonomy, right to die with dignity, and dying in familiar and supportive surroundings. The USA and Israeli Jews have similar knowledge regarding EOL care and expressed similar attitudes and perceptions toward the issues of authority of medical staff and religious figures and patient's autonomy. Findings indicate that the level of religious observance has more potency in shaping their attitudes and perceptions of EOL decisions than the state law. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings with regard to multicultural health systems and providing practical recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. To understand how the recipients of cadaver-harvested organs and donor families perceive the role of the transplant team and transplant coordinator in bringing them into contact. Background. Studies dispute the benefits and disbenefits of contact and their differential weights with the two parties. For the donor family, contact with the recipient after a successful transplant renders positive meaning to the tragedy of the family's loss, but expectations of the recipient can also be disappointed. For recipients, contact with the donor family lets them express gratitude and shake off the guilt of having their life saved by a death but can also draw them into the family's mourning and into feeling the family are owed a 'return' for their life-saving gift. The transplant team have to weigh these potential benefits and disbenefits. If the answer is positive, what should they do to bring the contact about? Design. A sample of 135 donor family members and organ recipients (representing all successful transplants in Israel from 1998-2007) were interviewed by structured questionnaire. Some had made contact, some not. Method. Data were analysed by means, frequencies and correlation coefficients. Results. Far more 'contacters' than 'non-contacters' wanted the transplant coordinator to take an active role in establishing contact. No less than 60% of non-contacters wanted contact in the future, and 50% were dissatisfied with the absence of contact. Conclusions. This is the first study to investigate the benefits and disbenefits of not making contact. Both donor families and organ recipients would respond positively to the coordinator taking the initiative in establishing mutual contact. Relevance to clinical practice. Transplant coordinators are given convincing backing for taking the initiative in promoting contact between donor families and organ recipients. The coordinator's intervention, information and guidance are needed to make a success of such contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]