Introduction
Nurse practitioners use their philosophies to maximize their clients’ health outcomes. Such philosophies are usually informed by a wide range of nursing concepts, assumptions, and theories. Culturally competent nurses apply specific transcultural theories to achieve their career goals. Personally, the theory I identify with is Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing (Prosen, 2015). The theory indicates that practitioners should study various cultures to understand their similarities and differences. When this knowledge is understood, it will be possible to develop sustainable models that can ensure the health needs of different clients are met.
The theory empowers me to respect, understand, and appreciate the uniqueness of every person. I always focus on the values, cultural aspects, and beliefs of my patients. The model guides me to develop appropriate procedures that can maximize the health outcomes of my patients. I will always use the theory to support the health needs of more patients from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, the model encourages me to embrace the power of traditional medicine depending on the beliefs of every patient.
Influencing Transcultural Nursing Practice
Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory has been observed to influence healthcare delivery positively. To begin with, the theory explains why nurses should acknowledge the fact that patients tend to have diverse values and beliefs. This understanding will encourage practitioners to appreciate their patients’ beliefs and values (Sherrill, Mayo, Truong, Pribonic, & Schalkoff, 2016). Individuals who use the theory find it easier to analyze the notions and ideas promoted by different patients. Issues such as illness, treatment procedure, and meaning of life are unique in each culture. This theory is a guiding principle that makes it easier for nurses to view health from a patient’s culture or perspective.
This approach is what empowers practitioners to come up with personalized care delivery models depending on their clients’ cultural beliefs and values. The model goes further to explain why nurse practitioners should include traditional healers and family members in every multidisciplinary team. The approach will attract competent people who understand the health issues affecting the targeted clients. Gender roles and beliefs about healing are usually considered throughout the care delivery process (Prosen, 2015). The theory, therefore, supports the ethnic nursing approach to promote the wellness of more people from diverse backgrounds.
Cultural Care and Nursing Leadership
It is agreeable that more nurses are currently embracing the power of transcultural nursing. Competent transcultural nurses have been observed to move cultural care to the forefront of nursing leadership. These professionals have been using their cultural dexterities to attract different practitioners, promote the best practices, and apply evidence-based concepts that can transform the nature of care. They have encouraged their followers to embrace traditional healing processes and combine them with modern healthcare delivery models (Prosen, 2015).
The inclusion of family members, consideration of personal beliefs, and the use of evidence-based healing practices are powerful initiatives that define leadership in cultural care settings. The future nurse is therefore expected to embrace the power of transcultural nursing (Sherrill et al., 2016). The practitioner will be required to respect the beliefs and values of his or her patients. The professional will go further to bring on board more practitioners and support the delivery of personalized care. This current change will encourage nurse leaders to transform the health sector and ensure quality and culturally competent care is available to more clients.
References
Prosen, M. (2015). Introducing transcultural nursing education: Implementation of transcultural nursing in the postgraduate nursing curriculum. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174(1), 149-155. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.640
Sherrill, W., Mayo, R., Truong, K., Pribonic, A., & Schalkoff, C. (2016). Assessing medical student cultural competence: What really matters. International Journal of Medical Education, 7(1), 248-254. doi:10.5116/ijme.578b.687c