Discrimination in the Workplace - Essay Example

The subject of this reflection is a female medical imaging student who, on occasion, is required to work in an operating theatre where aseptic conditions are maintained.

The fact that she can wear her shoes without modification seems illogical. The student feels disgruntled since hospital rules only allow these items and the “theatre suits” to be worn within the hospital. The fact that surgeons and other members of the medical staff often come in and out of the hospital without changing their clothes - and without being challenged – is, in her opinion, discriminatory and carries a risk of infection. To understand her feelings and to see if they are justified, it is necessary to reflect on the contributory factors. They fall into three categories [1] religious [2] surgical [3] integration.

In the first place the Quran does not require a Muslim woman to wear the hijab [headscarf] (Syed, 2001), the idea of compulsion generally derives from family or social pressures. Yet, even in Muslim countries some 30-40 years ago women frequently went out unveiled as they did in the UK to show their emancipation (Johnson, 2007). Five years ago, however, almost every Muslim woman wore a headscarf; this time to display allegiances – pride in their heritage and ethnicity. So, while there may be pressures, wearing a headscarf is a matter of choice and proclamation. It has been accepted that while the United Kingdom is essentially a Christian country [72%], Muslims are the second most numerous faiths [2.7%] (Marsh, 2008), and many concessions have been made to accommodate and respect their beliefs.

THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT
Within the hospital, there are many different regions: from the public areas where there are no restrictions on what clothes may be worn, through the “work areas” - where access is generally restricted to people who undertake specified activities, such as testing or evaluation, and where some form of hospital uniform is worn – to the operating theatres, in which a completely sterile field is maintained (Austin, 2009). The achievement of an aseptic field entails several procedures: washing the hands and arms to the elbows, donning a sterile gown, covering the head with a sterile cap, and wearing approved footwear. Many hospitals in the UK and Ireland have introduced disposable surgical caps and headscarves (Bradley, 2006; Austin, 2009) and, in some cases, have permitted Muslim women to wear their scarves underneath the latter, and also to wear their footwear. Some of these procedures do involve exposing areas of skin but, although such sensitivities should be understood, the overriding requirement must be the maintenance of sterile conditions, and the nursing and medical staff must accept that these procedures are not discriminatory, but insisted upon out of concern for patient safety.
It should therefore be possible to introduce, and enforce, a set of rules to the effect that all staff in the operating theatre use sterile procedures and clothing, some of which may be worn when leaving the area, but must be discarded and replaced on re-entering. This should also apply to footwear. Whilst it is recognized that surgical staff are the most frequent transgressors in this respect, the responsibility for enforcing these rules lies with the Director of Surgery and the CEO.

INTEGRATION
Having said that, it would seem appropriate to suggest that it is not the business of the student to begin his or her career by setting out to criticize the habits of other healthcare professionals as this only serves to antagonize them. A more subtle approach, and more effective, is to “learn the trade” as enthusiastically and diligently as possible. By so doing the student will not only become proficient in her/his profession more rapidly but will be recognised as such and therefore be able to obtain a sympathetic hearing. It would also be prudent to seek the advice of the local Muslim agencies to seek how any such problems could be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.