The Significance of Transcultural Nursing - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the contemporary world, numerous cultures exist, and nurses are burdened with comprehending these cultures to provide quality nursing care to their patients. Culture refers to the varied customs, ideas, and social behavior portrayed by a particular society or people (Gonzalo, 2019). In light of this, scholars have defined transcultural nursing as a nursing specialty that advocates for comparative cultural caring. A nurse's efficiency in transcultural nursing is defined by the nurse's ability to appreciate and recognize the apparent cultural differences of their patients in terms of customs, beliefs, and values (Gonzalo, 2019). As such, this paper's main focal point is to discuss the eight reasons why Madeleine Leininger deemed transcultural nursing vital. Besides, the three ways of incorporating culturally sensitive care to patients will also be addressed.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Why is Transcultural Nursing a Necessity?

According to Madeleine Leininger (the developer of the transcultural nursing concept), eight factors steered the adoption and establishment of transcultural nursing. Leininger developed these factors which were aimed at championing the mitigation of healthcare challenges and issues. Firstly, a significant increment of people migrating into varied countries (Rew, 2014). As a result of migration, the United States had become a habitat for people of different ethnic backgrounds who exercised varied norms according to treatment and medicine. As such, their beliefs ought to have been respected and used, which demanded the rise of transcultural nursing. Secondly, a significant rise in many cultures' identities led to the belief that nurses ought to have comprehended and respected the values, ways of life, and beliefs of each specific culture to ensure that quality nursing care was provided (Rew, 2014). When a patient's culture is disrespected or disregarded, there is the feeling of intimidation, racial profiling, and embarrassment, which might impede such a person's healing process. As such, nurses should understand their patients' cultures and treat them in the best way possible by respecting their beliefs.

Thirdly, Leininger discovered that a significant rise in patients and health care providers' use of technology led to profound conflicts regarding beliefs, cultural values, and practices of varied patients. Advancement of technology has led to the rise of different communication platforms like social media (Gonzalo, 2019). People might differ in opinions regarding cultures, which might also lead to intimidation, as previously discussed. People should learn to respect other cultures to ensure that quality nursing care can be provided regardless of their ethnic background. Global violence, clashes, and cultural conflicts arose as more cultures interacted with one another, impacted the quality of health care provided to patients. The increased conflicts are established due to the diverse views people have on varied matters due to cultural differences.

The fifth factor brought to light by Leininger was the increased amount of people traversing worldwide as they searched for greener pastures globally (Murphy, 2011). Another factor relevant to the establishment of transcultural nursing as the rise of gender issue awareness with the heightened demand of meeting age and gender-specific needs by health care systems of children, men, and women—lastly, the need for culturally and community-based health care initiatives in varied environmental contexts (Rew, 2014). The latter is so as a nurse should be aware that they are interested in improving their physical body health and overall well-being when they care for a patient. This defines the need for a nurse to be culturally diverse.

Culturally Sensitive Care

The provision of acute care by nurses is a vital integrant of patient-centered care. Nurses should achieve the latter by reflecting on their cultures and their patients and how their differences impact the patient-nurse relationship. To provide effective, culturally sensitive care, three approaches are necessary. Firstly, awareness creation is significant in the provision of culturally sensitive care (Murphy, 2011). Healthcare facilities, especially those in rural areas, need to be aware of the need which the health sector is desperate for, the need for cultural competence. All nurses should be aware of the different cultures globally and how to appreciate them. In doing this, the nurse-patient relationship can be improved, which leads to improved medical care.

Secondly, a nurse should avoid making assumptions about diversified cultures. The latter is so as assumptions can lead to a breakdown of rapport and trust between the involved parties, making a patient resistant to treatment (Bushe, 2020). Thirdly, transcultural nurses should learn how to overcome language barriers. Culturally conflicts are majorly brought about by differences in the languages spoken by the patient and the nurse. As such, a nurse should be aware of the diversified languages spoken by patients in the region. They are working to establish a good rapport between the two involved parties. The latter ensures there is acceptance of treatment by patients, which speeds up the recovery process.

Conclusion

As seen from the paper, cultural knowledge is crucial for nurses as it aids them comprehend and respect the cultural diversity present in the nurse's patient's workload. In respecting patients' cultural diversity, there will be acceptance of treatment between patients and nurses since patients will feel less intimidated and will trust their conditions to their nurses. The latter has been improved through nurses' cultural competence, which involves eliminating language barriers and awareness creation.

References

Bushe, D. (2020, August 6). 7 Steps to Become a More Culturally Sensitive Nurse. Nursing Careers, Programs, & Jobs | EveryNurse.org. https://everynurse.org/blog/7-steps-culturally-sensitive-nurse/.

Gonzalo, A. (2019, September 10). Madeleine Leininger: Transcultural Nursing Theory. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/madeleine-leininger-transcultural-nursing-theory/.

Murphy, K. (2011). The importance of cultural competence. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy! 9(2), 5. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000394039.35217.12

Rew, L. (2014, January 2). The influence of culture on nursing practice and research. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jspn.12058.