A Hospital Handbook on Multiculturalism and Religion

Publisher Description

A concise and practical guide to the beliefs and practices of the various faith traditions for health-care workers. In our religiously pluralistic society, clergy, medical, and nursing staffs in modern hospitals are confronted with caring for people with varied beliefs and customs. Since the overall care of a patient, and not just the surgeries performed or medicines given, affect an individual's recovery, it is vitally important to be familiar with cultural and religious understandings and expectations around hygiene, pastoral care, autopsies, transfusions, and even the practices associated with death itself. This book is a succinct guide to the care of patients from a variety of faiths. The original edition included Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Baha'i. This revised edition includes additional chapters on Taoism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Jainism.