Nursing is a career based on connectivity and empathy, with one of its core standards stressing the importance of understanding and respecting the diverse cultures, beliefs, and values of patients and colleagues.
This article will explore transcultural nursing and its importance in health care.
What Is Transcultural Nursing?
The Transcultural Nursing Society (TCNS) describes transcultural nursing as the concept that all people, regardless of culture and beliefs, should be respected and receive quality health care. The transcultural nursing area of study was founded by Dr. Madeleine M. Leininger in the early 1970s, with the TCNS established in 1974.
Since the 1970s, the need for transcultural awareness has increased. The Journal of Professional Nursing research explains that the increasing diversity of a globalized world presents health care organizations with new needs.
By discovering more about patients and their circumstances, nurses can tailor patient care to ensure it respects each individual’s dignity, agency, and comfort. Transcultural care seeks to be more equitable and culturally appropriate than a uniform or programmatic approach to medicine.
Where Culture and Individuals Meet
Megan Bivens, DNP, faculty member at the Purdue Global School of Nursing, says that it's important for nurses to view each patient as an individual and not rely on assumptions or stereotypes based solely on their knowledge of a culture. "Nurses should keep in mind the patient’s cultural practices, personal experiences, their needs and wants, and their beliefs and values," Bivens says.
Why Is Transcultural Nursing an Important Part of Patient Care?
Nurses with insights into their patients’ cultural experiences have a better chance of matching patient expectations and providing a culturally appropriate experience in collaboration with their patients.
Transcultural nursing is also closely tied to the concept of patient autonomy. Autonomy in nursing is a two-fold concept. First, it incorporates a patient's right to determine the type of treatment they receive. Then, it incorporates a health care professional’s freedom to make the best choices for the individuals in their care based on their judgment and knowledge.
Examples of Transcultural Care
The American Hospital Association (AHA) provides an example of increasing cultural competency to improve the care experience. St. Charles Madras, a hospital in Oregon, received feedback that staff members were not well-equipped to serve the needs of the Native American and Latino patients who comprise large portions of the community.
The hospital made changes, including revising hospital artwork to better honor patients' backgrounds and switching from written to phoned patient satisfaction surveys, which addressed a preference for oral communication among the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Following the cultural refresh, survey response rates increased, more patients said they would recommend the hospital, and complaints fell from 59 per quarter to 13.
Benefits of Transcultural Nursing
Transcultural nursing and cultural competency have numerous benefits. Nurses trained in transcultural nursing practices are capable of:
- Developing realistic, efficient interventions
- Determining ideal treatment options in collaboration with patients
- Delivering equitable, optimal patient experiences for diverse populations
The researchers note that when nurses excel at suggesting treatments that fit cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and family situations, they can reduce health disparities among patient populations.
Patient Benefits
Patient outcomes within the health care system depend on multiple factors. Studies have shown that nurses who provide culturally sensitive care can:
- Improve health outcomes
- Communicate more effectively with patients
- Increase patient satisfaction
Increasing cultural awareness helps reduce implicit bias in the care environment, thus improving patient outcomes. The Annual Review of Public Health research reveals that when implicit bias is high, treatment providers may offer disparate care recommendations based on patients' backgrounds. In addition, this could lead them to offer unequal pain management and empathy to patients.
Organizational Benefits
Bivens explains that transcultural practices, such as improved communication, can help health care organizations deliver better-quality care more quickly and directly. Nurses who approach their patients from a culturally appropriate lens — connecting with them on a deeper level and respecting their beliefs — can learn more from them.
Bivens adds that when patients feel culturally supported, they may provide additional details, such as alternative treatments they use at home. Such information can enable better, more complete treatment plans.
This better-informed care can enhance a facility's overall effectiveness. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality states that when institutions make an effort to implement culturally appropriate health care, they can:
- Enhance patients' trust in the system and boost their perception of care providers
- Encourage patients to take advantage of preventive care services offered by the institution
- Improve health outcomes within the community regarding long-term conditions, mental health, and more
The end result is a healthier population requiring fewer inpatient visits, allowing the health system to serve patients more effectively.
Considerations Around Cultural Competence in Nursing
Transcultural nursing excellence means prioritizing specific parts of patient communication and overall practices. Bivens acknowledges it takes time to learn new cultural competencies — from historical knowledge of local communities to language skills. However, with dedication, these competencies can prove to be invaluable.
Effective Practices for Transcultural Nursing
According to Bivens, transcultural nursing skills that can be learned include:
- Ability to collect and synthesize data from a standardized cultural assessment, providing accurate information about an individual's cultural background
- Willingness to engage with each person one-on-one, understanding cultural differences and related factors but not making assumptions based on them
- Aptitude for collaborating with colleagues and sharing information to make cultural awareness a natural part of the organization's DNA
- Curiosity about the populations a nurse serves to offer care that takes into account those communities' cultural values
- Self-knowledge and understanding to ensure a nurse's own personal opinions, assumptions, and biases don't impede transcultural care
- Commitment to patient-centric care, compatible with holistic values of treating the whole person, rather than dealing with a condition in a vacuum
Nurses can enhance their skill sets around cultural awareness by pursuing a nursing bachelor's degree program or professional development courses. With transcultural nursing skills, nurses can become change agents and elevate their teams, providing a perspective that helps institutions deliver more culturally sensitive styles of care.
Improving Nursing Skills Through Education
Opportunities for nursing professionals to learn more about transcultural nursing vary. They extend from institutions' training sessions to federal courses through agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and a certification program operated by the TCNS.
Purdue Global offers a world-class nursing education with the flexible schedule you need to keep up with your career as a registered nurse. Offerings for nursing students include an online RN-to-BSN degree program, Master of Science in Nursing, postgraduate certificate programs, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Learn more about Purdue Global’s online nursing degree programs or request more information today.
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