Cultural diversity is present everywhere. As a health care provider, I will deal with multiple cultures and this could to be a challenge if the culture interferes with care. Still, in cultural diversity the most important thing is respect and maintaining trust. Everyone gets the same care no matter what their culture is. What is transcultural nursing and its history and what is its importance in today’s world? What is cultural competency and its role in nursing care? In all elements of the world there are barriers so what are potential nursing barriers to cultures like Islam.
The history of transcultural nursing came to light from a woman by the name of Madeleine M. Leininger. Ms. Leininger was the founder of the Transcultural Nursing Association and the Journal of Transcultural Nursing as well as others. (Ray, 2013) According to Ansuya (2012), Leininger came up with a Culture Care Theory, it shows the importance of culture and how it effects health and behavior. Leininger also found that patients of diverse backgrounds appreciated proper care more than the nurses did (Ansuya 2012). According to Marilyn A. Ray (2012), Ms. Leininger, who died in 2012, created transcultural nursing and introduced the concept of caring as well as helping healthcare providers understand the meaning of transcultural care and culture in general. The mission of the Transcultural Nursing Society is, “…to enhance the quality of culturally congruent, competent, and equitable care that results in improved health and well-being for people worldwide” (Ray, 2012). The quote is saying that by making care better and equal it will in turn improve the health and cause individuals to prosper. To wrap up, it can be said that Madeleine Leininger was an influential woman that came up with the idea of Transcultural Nursing and has since made nursing and caring better.
According to M. N., Kanchana, and N., Sangamesh (2016) transcultural nursing is defined as a study of cultures and is used to understand comparisons and dissimilarities in different culture groups. A model was made recently called ACCESS and it is used to help nurses become more transcultural. The A stands for assessment, which focuses on the peoples live, beliefs, and well-being. The C stands for communication and this includes verbal and non-verbal communication. The other C stands for cultural negotiation and compromise which refers to having an understanding of a person’s culture and being vigilant to their beliefs and views. The E stands for establishing respect and rapport, this means respect and building trust with client. The S stands for sensitivity, which includes being caring and compassionate. The last S stands for safety which allows a client to feel secure (Kanchana and Sangamesh 2016). Transcultural nursing improves patient outcome and allows nurses to become more culturally competent.
Transcultural nursing is important today in the world more than it was years ago. The reason transcultural nursing is so important is because more and more patients at hospitals have different cultures and nurses need to give care to these people the same way they would others who aren’t a different culture. (Kanchana and Sangamesh 2016). Transcultural nursing also goes hand in hand with ethics. Ethics is having respect and being responsible, transcultural nursing is providing care to someone of another culture so the two go together because you need ethics (respect and responsibility) to give adequate care to someone of different cultural background. Education and transcultural nursing is also important. Lack of education on different cultures can cause anger and frustration. Kanchana and Sangamesh (2016) believe that a program should be set up for nurses to attend that would inform them on transcultural nursing and this will allow the nurses to understand their own culture and belief. Kanchana and Sangamesh (2016) think that the program is necessary because it will help nurses become more accepting and help them learn. After learning about transcultural nursing the nurses could then be able to look inside at themselves and see if they do have skills to be culturally competent (Kanchana and Sangamesh 2016). Another thought would be refugees coming from other countries, these people have different cultures too, this is why transcultural nursing is so important because you never know what type of person or culture one might come into contact with.
Cultural competence is defined as being aware of personal beliefs and thoughts, it is being knowledgeable in culture. Cultural competence is being respectful to other beliefs and configuring care that matches their beliefs and practices (Kanchana and Sangamesh, 2016). Ansuya (2012) stats that caring is very important and provides healing. Culture is influenced by language, religion, social and others. Characteristics of cultural competence would include having awareness of ones’ culture and that culture of others, respecting other cultures and not assuming ones’ beliefs are the same as others, being open to different cultures and not being judgmental (Ansuya, 2012). A nurse has roles to uphold to when caring for someone with diverse backgrounds. The nurse should determine client’s communication skills and their beliefs according to health care. The nurse should self-evaluate herself, which will allow the nurse to become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the culture. The nurse should realize what influences and attitudes the client has to health. Nurses should collect information about the family and realize any religious beliefs. The nursing diagnoses, planning, and interventions should match the client’s beliefs and practices (Kanchana and Sangamesh 2016). Barrier should also be recognized when it comes to cultural competence these barriers would include having deficient knowledge in culture, becoming emotional based of fear because one is dealing with a new culture, being biased and lastly language impairments (Ansuya 2012). The nurse needs to build rapport and show a caring and trusting attitude.
Caring for individuals with Islamic beliefs could pose a challenge for nurses. According to the article “Caring for those with Islamic beliefs (2014) and Mr. Gulam the way to diminish certain barriers is to use communication. An Islamic hijab or niqab (head covering) is allowed to be removed in a healthcare setting. The head covering is one of Islam’s’ most important principles and they call it the preservation of life. The hijab or niqab can only be taken off by a female health professional. Mr. Gulam stated that pork and alcohol are not allowed to be consumed in the Islamic faith but if it will save a life, it is allowed to be consumed by Islam’s. Another important element of the Islamic faith is cleanliness. Nurses need to understand that Islamic patients must be in a state of cleanliness for most of the day because prayer is done 5 times a day and one must be completely cleansed before each prayer. Abortion is not allowed by the Islamic faith unless the baby is a threat to the mother. One last item that nurses should consider when caring for an Islamic patient is that during the month of fasting (Ramadan) no eating and drinking is done from sunrise to sunset. If a patient needs medication the nurse should explain that there’s no options and injections and IV drips are acceptable (“Caring for those with Islamic Beliefs,” 2014). One feels like this article gives a better understanding of the Islamic culture. One will now be able to be more cultural competent in this culture.
Cultural diversity is very important. Culture is all over us, more now than it was 10 years ago. It’s important to become cultural competent because a health care providers goal is giving everyone no matter the culture the same care. The only way one can become culturally competent is not only learning and researching cultures but it is also emerging oneself in culture. Leininger was a big part of transcultural nursing, transcultural nursing is defined as a study of cultures and is used to understand comparisons and dissimilarities in different culture groups. Cultural competence is defined as being aware of personal beliefs and thoughts, it is being knowledgeable in culture. By learning more about cultures nurses will be able to give the adequate care to those of diverse backgrounds.