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Culturally Competent Care

This resource is meant to be used as a guide. Every religion and culture has differing practices, beliefs, ceremonies, and languages dependent on origin location, community, family, and the individual. If you are unsure about how to best provide support,

Brief Overview

  • The world will one day be restored to a state of paradise and beneficiaries of Christ will inhabit the earth¹
  • Individuals do not give gifts on holidays, recognize birthdays or national holidays¹
  • Work to speak about their faith and share beliefs with others²

Common Rituals

  • Participate in prayer and the reading of scriptures¹
  • Local Kingdom Halls hold meetings 3x a week¹
  • Shunning of those who fail to live up to religious standards¹

Common Health Beliefs

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Clinical Considerations

  • Likely to refuse blood transfusions and blood products¹
  • Not likely to pre-donate or store their own blood²
  • Likely to request medical and surgical care with strategies that avoid blood²
  • Likely to accept other medical care and treatments²
  • May individually accept the use of blood fractions (clotting factors, interferons, immunoglobins, etc.)

Diet

  • Avoid food that contains blood (i.e. blood sausage), with meat products being properly drained¹,²

Pregnancy

  • Abortion and artificial insemination are not accepted¹
    • Individuals to make their own decision if abortion is required for safety of mother¹
  • Birth control is an individual choice¹

End of Life/Death

  • Death is a state of unconsciousness, with resurrection to happen at a future time¹,²
  • Autopsies accepted if required¹
  • Organ donation is a personal choice¹
  • Medically assisted dying is not accepted¹
  • Typically no last rites or mourning rituals²
  • Cremation and burial are both accepted²

References

  1. Swihart, D. L., Yarrarapu, S. N. S., & Martin, R. L. (2024). Cultural Religious Competence in Clinical Practice. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493216

  2. Spiritual Care Advisory Committee. (2015). Health Care and Religious Beliefs. Alberta Health Services. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/programs/ps-1026227-health-care-religious-beliefs.pdf