Ultra-Orthodox Nursing Students’ Cultural Challenges Inside and Outside Their Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sara Genut, Yaacov G. Bachner, Zvika Orr and Adi Finkelstein
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Sara Genut: Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Jerusalem College of Technology, 7 Beit Hadfus Street, Jerusalem 95483, Israel
Yaacov G. Bachner: Department of Epidemiology Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Zvika Orr: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Jerusalem College of Technology, 7 Beit Hadfus Street, Jerusalem 95483, Israel
Adi Finkelstein: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Jerusalem College of Technology, 7 Beit Hadfus Street, Jerusalem 95483, Israel

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: In line with findings that nurses from minority groups have an important role in making health services accessible to their community, our study aimed to identify the challenges ultra-Orthodox Jewish nurses faced during COVID-19 in their encounters with patients and health staff from other communities, as well as their own community. The ultra-Orthodox community is a highly religious group that maintains isolation from general society, a phenomenon that affected its member experiences during COVID-19. Our research followed sequential explanatory mixed methods. The quantitative phase included a questionnaire completed by 235 female students (111 ultra-Orthodox and 124 non-ultra-Orthodox), followed by a qualitative phase, which included six focus-groups ( n = 15). The quantitative analysis showed that the ultra-Orthodox students felt a higher sense of responsibility toward their community. They used their authority and knowledge to guide their community during the pandemic. The qualitative analysis identified two themes expressed as challenges ultra-Orthodox nursing students encountered within their community and with other sections of Israeli society. Our research shows the important role that transcultural nurses play in mediating updated health information otherwise inaccessible to their community, especially in times of crises. It is important to address dilemmas this group faces inside and outside their respective communities.

Keywords: ultra-Orthodox; transcultural; minority; cultural competence; COVID-19; mixed methods; nursing students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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