Leininger Transcultural Nursing Theory

Transcultural Nursing Theory deals with the manner is which nurses interact with cultures. Care is structured so that the patient's religious beliefs, cultural norms, customs and biological traits are taken into consideration.

History

• Varying beliefs may effect nursing care.

  In the mid-1950s, nurse and anthropologist Madeleine M. Leininger began to combine the the knowledge of her two fields. According to an article by Sharon C. Murphy in the "Journal of the Medical Library Association," "Leininger took the 'culture' construct from anthropology and 'care' from nursing and reformulated these two dominant constructs into 'culture care.'" Leininger developed transcultural nursing programs at major universities and wrote numerous books on the subject.

Distinctives

• Proponents of transcultural nursing are sensitive to the cultural norms of their patients. Issues such as modesty, refusal of pain medicine and the use of amulets or folk remedies are important factors in determining treatment.

Expected Growth

• As societies become more culturally diverse, the practice of transcultural nursing will continue to grow. In their book, "Transcultural Nursing," first published in 2002, Leininger and Marilyn R. McFarland wrote, "All nurses need to be prepared in transcultural nursing to serve culturally vulnerable populations and to develop professional competencies in transcultural nursing by the year 2015."