Question

• How would you ask the questions while maintaining a non-judgmental attitude and respect for the patient preference?

Answer 1

Nurses should strive to be nonjudgmental when caring for patients. Nonjudgmental, holistic care helps promote well-being and may improve the patient’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. While many patients already feel vulnerable in healthcare settings, some patients may feel more vulnerable than others. Harmful societal attitudes — discrimination and judgement — can hinder the healing process and are unprofessional and unethical. As a nurse, you can help your patients by providing kind, nonjudgmental care that acknowledges all aspects of your patients’ makeup. Holistic care treats and recognizes other needs of the patient, such as spiritual and cultural needs, that modern medicine alone can’t meet. Nonjudgmental, holistic care affirms the dignity of your patients and helps them have a voice in their healthcare.

Nurses should become more aware of how patients’ other needs affect their healthcare. Some patients, for example, may have concerns about particular treatments that conflict with their religious or cultural beliefs. Being sensitive to your patients may require being open to different ideas or beliefs than you are familiar with. As your patients express their beliefs, be sure to respect them and listen to any concerns they may have. In some cases, these beliefs may impact their healthcare by restricting how they receive care from you or the types of care they can receive. Many personal beliefs do not impact healthcare directly, but may lead the patient to ask for other services. Wherever possible and practical, you should strive to recognize and help patients with these needs.

Unfortunately, many patients experience discrimination or judgment in healthcare settings we should strive to be non judgmental and respectful to the patient