TRANSCULTURAL NURSING

TRANSCULTURAL NURSING - A HUMANISTIC AND

SCIENTIFIC AREA OF FORMAL STUDY AND PRACTICE IN NURSING WHICH IS FOCUSED UPON DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES AMONG CULTURES WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN CARE, HEALTH, AND ILLNESS BASED UPON THE PEOPLE'S CULTURAL VALUES, BELIEFS, AND PRACTICES, AND TO USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO PROVIDE CULTURAL SPECIFIC OR CULTURALLY CONGRUENT NURSING CARE TO PEOPLE ... LEININGER

DEFINITION OF TERMS
CULTURE
norms and practices of a particular group that are learned and shared and guide thinking,

decisions, and actions.

CULTURAL VALUES
individual's desirable or preferred way of acting or knowing something that is sustained

over a period of time and which governs actions or decisions.

CULTURALLY DIVERSE NURSING CARE

variability of nursing approaches needed to provide culturally appropriate care that

incorporates an individuals cultural values, beliefs, and practices including sensitivity to the environment from which the individual comes and to which the individual may ultimately return.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
ETHNOCENTRISM
perception that one's own way is best when viewing the world

ETHNIC
large groups of people classified according to common traits or customs .

ETHNOGRAPHY
study of a culture

DISEASES RELATED TO RACE

SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA
Blacks or African-descent

PHENYLKETONURIA (PKU)
Whites or Northern European-descent

TAY-SACHS
Jewish

CYSTIC FIBROSIS
European

THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CULTURE

Beliefs
a) Standardize definitions of health and illness.

b) The omnipotence of technology.

Practices
a) The maintenance of health and the prevention of disease via such mechanisms as the avoidance

of stress and the use of immunizations. b) Annual physical examinations and diagnostic procedures such as Pap smears.

Habits
a) Charting

b) The constant use of jargon c) Use of a systematic approach and problem solving methodology.

THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CULTURE

Likes
a) Promptness

b) Neatness and organization. c) Compliance.

Dislikes
a) Tardiness

b) Disorderliness and disorganization.

Customs
a) Professional deference and adherence to the "pecking order" found in autocratic and bureaucratic

systems. b) Hand washing c) Employment of certain procedures attending birth and death.

THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CULTURE

Rituals
a) The physical examination.

b) The surgical procedure. c) Limiting visitors and visiting hours.

TRANSCULTURAL NURSING ASSESSMENT TOOL

COMMUNICATION
SPACE SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS TIME ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BIOLOGICAL VARIATION

ASSESSMENT
History of the origins of the patients' culture. Value orientations, including view of the world, ethics, and norms and standards of behavior

as well as attitudes about time, work, money, education, beauty, strength, and change.

Interpersonal relationships, including family patterns, demeanor, and roles and relationships. Communication patterns and forms. Religion and magic.

Social systems, including economic values, political systems, and educational patterns.
Diet and food habits.

Health and illness belief systems, including behaviors, decision making, and use of healthcare

providers.

5 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR CULTURAL COMPETENCE

1. valuing diversity;
2. having the capacity for cultural self-assessment; 3. being conscious of the dynamics inherent when cultures interact; 4. having institutionalized cultural knowledge; and 5. having developed adaptations of service delivery reflecting an

understanding of cultural diversity.

4 MAJOR CHALLENGES
Recognizing clinical differences among people of different ethnic and racial

groups
Communication

Ethics
Trust