Being graduates of nursing school or students currently in nursing school, I am sure many of you are familiar with the popular nursing textbook publisher, Pearson. Fundamentals of nursing are a staple and the first stepping stone for new nurses, so it is not unexpected to find a segment on cultural and religious considerations in healthcare. After all, it is essential to the holistic care of patients. However, a publication by Pearson has caused an uproar on social media.
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The Pearson publication, “Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning,” contains an excerpt on “Cultural Differences in Response to Pain.” In the section, it lists different ethnicities and their supposed responses to pain. One example listed is, “Jews,” according to the book, “may be vocal and demand assistance,” and “believed pain must be shared and validated by others.”
Other similar examples follow, with ethnicities such as Chinese and African Americans. The goal, according to the president of Pearson publishing, Tim Bozik, was to prepare nursing students to care for different cultural and religious groups.
However, Bozik posted an apology via YouTube after realizing that the textbook curriculum was offensive. Pearson is currently considering recalling the current edition of ‘Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning.’