Transcultural nursing leadership: A concept analysis

Abstract

BackgroundGlobalisation, wars, competitiveness, and technological innovation have increased workplace diversity, requiring leaders to conduct multinational projects, lead people from different cultural backgrounds, and deliver appropriate services that meet the needs of clients from different cultures. Several concepts are interchangeably used to define and describe leadership in culturally-diverse work environments; one such concept is transcultural leadership. Because of nurses’ global migration and care delivery to patients from different cultural backgrounds, this concept is of interest in the nursing field. While some nurses have been identified as transcultural leaders, no definition of transcultural nursing leadership has been found in the literature. ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop an operational definition of transcultural nursing leadership. DesignA concept analysis was performed using Walker and Avant's method. MethodsA literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including CINAHL and MEDLINE, books, and encyclopaedias. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed- design studies and literature reviews; master's and doctoral theses; interviews; and text and opinion papers published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that focused on leadership in multicultural work environments overall and in nursing in particular were included. To identify differences and similarities between the concepts, a Correspondence Factor Analysis with the support of the software IRaMuTeQ was undertaken. ResultsA total of 45 documents with definitions or descriptions of the concepts was included, of which five were in the nursing area and 40 in other areas of study. The defining attribute of transcultural nursing leadership is guiding the delivery of culturally-congruent care. Its antecedents were culturally-diverse populations, multicultural nursing teams, and the need to prepare healthcare workers, administrators, academics, professors, researchers, and minorities for transcultural nursing. The consequences identified included culturally-congruent care for patients and optimal health outcomes for all populations. The identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences did not cover the complexity of a culturally-diverse nursing work environment. Thus, the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of transcultural leadership identified in the literature were considered and added. ConclusionsTranscultural nursing leadership is a concept grounded in nursing theory that has significant implications for nursing management, education, research, and policy. This holds great promise for advancing culturally-congruent care, addressing health disparities, and building highly inclusive and productive nursing teams in an increasingly diverse world.