Hospitalization Experience of Muslim Migrants in Hospitals in Southern Spain—Communication, Relationship with Nurses and Culture. A Focused Ethnography

Fernando Jesús Plaza del Pino, Verónica C. Cala, Encarnación Soriano Ayala and Rachida Dalouh
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Fernando Jesús Plaza del Pino: Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Verónica C. Cala: Department of Research Methods in Education, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Encarnación Soriano Ayala: Department of Research Methods in Education, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Rachida Dalouh: Department of Research Methods in Education, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: The coast of southern Spain is one of the main entry points for Africans who want to reach Europe; in this area, there is an important immigrant community of African origin, mostly Muslims. The objective of this study is to describe and understand the hospitalization experience of Muslim migrants in public hospitals in southern Spain, especially their relationship with the nurses who care for them. Data were collected from May 2016 to June 2017. This study followed the principles associated with focused ethnography. During data collection, open interviews with 37 Muslim patients were conducted. Three themes emerged from the inductive data analysis: lack of communication with nurses, discriminatory experiences at the hospital and their experience of Islam in the hospital. We conclude that caring for Muslim patients requires specific training not only for nurses but also for other health professionals; existing communication problems must be addressed by establishing the role of the intercultural mediator as an idiomatic and cultural bridge between patients and nurses. In addition, hiring health professionals with migrant backgrounds would help convert hospitals into spaces for intercultural coexistence.

Keywords: hospitalization; Muslim; communication; culture; nursing; focused ethnography; qualitative methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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