Facing Differentness: Ethical Challenges in Intercultural Nursing

Ethical problems may occur when nurse and patient have different cultural backgrounds. Patient ?non-compliance?, and different moralities and world views may be difficult to handle. Medical systems, value-commitments and priorities may clash. The concepts of ?otherness?/?differentness? are used to describe nurses? aggregate feelings when facing patients very different from themselves. Feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty may cause withdrawal from patient care situations, even though this makes nurses disappointed in themselves. Although sometimes angered by patient behaviour, a feeling of duty to resolve ethical problems, and a combination of common sense morality and professional ethical principles, guide and regulate nurses?conduct. Essential tools for a successful nurse-patient relationship are sensitivity, understanding, and the ability to communicate. This book is based on research data acquired through narrative interviews with and observations of hospital nurses caring for non-Western patients.