Who do you Prefer to Take Care of you: A Jewish or an Arab Nurse? Nationality and Religion Preferences in Israeli Hospitals.
Pazit AzuriRiki Halamish-LeshemYa'arit Bokek-CohenMahdi TarabeihPublished in: Journal of religion and health (2024)
Studies show that there are patients who refuse treatment or demand that treatment be provided by a professional belonging to their ethnic group. We investigated whether patients have preferences for nationality and religion of nurses (PFNR), and which factors impact these preferences. The study included 1012 Jews and Arabs. Results show that Arabs and Jews prefer that a nurse of their own nationality and religion treat them. Trust is the most important factor that influences this preference. In the Israeli healthcare system, the patient-nurse encounter is affected by the strong bias that Jews and Arab Muslims hold against each other.