Leininger’s Transcultural Theory focuses on how nurses adjust their patterns to accommodate the different cultural beliefs of their patients. Patients are entitled to the task of providing services to different people. Leininger’s theory suggests that nurses should be transcultural, such that they can accommodate and appreciate different people’s different beliefs. HCR Home Care (2012) explores two cultures, Puerto Rican and Caribbean Hispanic, and the care the caregivers should provide such people. Among various important issues discussed, there is acknowledging and respecting the unique values of people, even if you do not understand or agree with them,
One may encounter unique customs, beliefs, and perspectives when dealing with patients from different cultures. These customs may include religious traditions, food traditions, herbal usage, family involvement in treatment, language barriers and home remedies, and others. Some customs may find it disrespectful if one rejects food. Therefore, a transcultural nurse must be dynamic enough to integrate all these cultural customs, norms, and patterns in their treatment to make it effective. To manage all these cultural patterns, a nurse should best acknowledge and respect their unique values, even if they don’t understand or agree with them (HCR Home Care, 2012). Therefore, one key thing is that culture is a central concept in nursing, and transcultural nurses should ensure they adjust and incorporate these customs, beliefs, and patterns in their treatments. Some esteem religion and believe it can accelerate their healing; others believe in herbal and home remedies; others believe in the involvement of family or priests in treatment; and other beliefs. Respect for traditional cultural values is one of the key components of a successful relationship when providing care. Nurses should learn to respect cultures while providing care services, necessitating good patient relationships.
Another transcultural approach and a key point that a nurse can apply is maintaining, negotiating, and restructuring techniques (HCR Home Care, 2012). These techniques are applicable in almost all cultural setups. Maintenance involves celebrating and supporting various cultural behaviors that benefit the patients. For example, allowing patients to continue praying as they take medication is part of their belief. Negotiation includes helping your patient to adapt their behavior without interfering or compromising their cultural values (HCR Home Care, 2012). For example, some patients might be offended if they are required to stop using certain foods. In such a case, the nurse negotiates with the patient to use a certain approach that does not necessarily eliminate what they adore but preserves it in a controlled manner that reaps back the desired results. Restructuring involves acknowledging cultural practices that may be harmful and need to be halted. For example, a nurse may show the patient ways of using something very professionally, helping them to stop their initial pattern and adapt what they have been shown in a friendly manner. A nurse can help patients restructure their behavior and stop them from continuing to do them.
Transcultural nursing applies to all cultures. Therefore, since it is hard to understand all cultures, a nurse should consider identifying a widespread population in their area and develop a primary understanding of their health behaviors (HCR Home Care, 2012). It is proven that preserving cultural values positively impacts patients’ healing success. Therefore, the more culturally aware a nurse becomes, the more successful they become in helping patients. Nurses need to be open to cultural and ethnic diversity to effectively provide healthcare to all people from diverse cultures. Nurses should always focus on providing culturally congruent care that fits the culture and different patients they serve.
References
HCR Home Care, (2012). The power of transcultural nursing. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U3n4UF_XGg
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