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Glen is a doctor in a large country town. His story illustrates the importance of perseverance and flexibility.
Mr J had prostate cancer. He'd had himself tested not long after I'd conducted a prostate cancer information seminar for the Islander community.
Both Mr J and I were pleased that the test had resulted in early detection.
I called Mr J and his nephew to the clinic so we could discuss treatment. (Mr J's nephew is his support – they are very good mates.)
I knew that Mr J had low literacy levels. I explained the cancer and the hospital treatment in layman's terms, and showed them models and diagrams, rather than relying on written information.
I asked Mr J and his nephew if they had any questions. They said 'No'.
But Mr J wanted to put off treatment for a few months. I told him the painful symptoms might increase but he said he did not mind pain.
I was at a bit of a loss, and then I remembered I had read somewhere that Islanders prefer to discuss a situation in private before asking questions. I suggested that Mr J and his nephew go and sit in the waiting room for a while, and discuss the situation between themselves.
I had an appointment with another client. After that appointment I brought Mr J and his nephew back into my room.
That time alone had given Mr J and his nephew the opportunity to discuss the situation. They now had plenty of questions to ask me, whereas half an hour ago they had said they had no questions. Giving Mr J and his nephew time alone to discuss the situation changed everything. I can't stress this enough.
One of the major questions that he wanted to ask was – would Mr J have a male nurse and a male doctor? He was concerned about having to shower in front of a female nurse.
He also asked whether there were any Australian South Sea Islanders working at the hospital. I told Mr J there was one male Islander nurse as far as I knew. Mr J was obviously relieved. It really drove home to me how important it is to have Islanders on staff – it solves heaps of problems and overcomes much of the apprehension Islander clients feel.
I rang the hospital, and asked them if they could meet Mr J's requests. They were great. They said that they'd make sure that Mr J would be put in an all-male ward and he'd also have the Islander male nurse whenever possible.
The doctor was female, however. I assured Mr J that the doctor had carried out the operation many times and was highly respected. Mr J thought for a while and then said a female doctor was acceptable to him. He was grateful we had tried to meet his requests.
Mr J agreed to go to hospital for treatment at the earliest opportunity. I arranged it all – everything was put in motion.
About a week later Mr J rang me and told me he didn't want to go to hospital anymore. I couldn't work it out. He had been really very confident about the whole thing and now he sounded terrified.
I paid an informal house call on Mr J. There were a few members of the family – including his nephew – visiting him at the time and I made sure I didn't mention the cancer in front of them as it would embarrass Mr J.
I asked Mr J and his nephew if we could discuss his operation in private. They agreed.
I asked Mr J why he had cancelled the operation.
He said that a friend of his had recently died of cancer in hospital, and he didn't want that to happen to him.
I knew this friend – she had died of throat cancer. I explained to Mr J that it was a very different cancer, in a different stage of development. I explained that we had caught his cancer early and he was sure to be OK.
However, Mr J was positive that the hospital had somehow been responsible for the death of his friend and he didn't want to suffer the same fate.
The nephew did not contradict Mr J's decision and seemed to support it.
I didn't know what to do.
What would you do to help Mr J? Jot down your ideas.
Select the Sensitive solutions button to find out how Glen actually solved this problem.
Sensitive solutions
Many Australian South Sea Islanders, like Mr J, have a fear of hospitals. This fear stems from a history of inadequate health care. Find out more at health care – a history
Since Recognition, the government is committed to rectifying the impact of a history of inadequate care.
Creative and dedicated health staff members throughout Queensland are bringing positive change into Australian South Sea Islander communities.
Working with the Australian South Sea Islander community brings about surprising results.
Enriching the community shows how Islanders and health staff members can create exciting new community services.
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