Transcultural Practice Research Articles

Meeting diversity challenges: Pathway of ‘advanced’ transcultural nursing practice in Australia

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to address the state of transcultural nursing in Australia. In an attempt to address the challenges of cultural diversity in nursing practice, the significance of research-based transcultural nursing knowledge is examined within the evolutionary changes of multicultural policies in Australia. Transcultural nursing research, building upon existing nursing knowledge, provides evidence to advance transcultural nursing practice. In order to promote ‘advanced practice’ in multicultural Australia, models of research-based transcultural nursing practice are examined and highlighted.

The nurse theorists: 21st-century updates--Madeleine M. Leininger.

This edited transcript of an interview with Madeleine Leininger presents Leininger's recent thoughts about the development and current state of the discipline of nursing, the development of the theory of culture care diversity and universality, methods for nursing research, mentorship, and transcultural nursing practice.

Transcultural general practice in Scandinavia.

During the past 20 years, many immigrants from all over the world have settled in Scandinavia. Primary care physicians today are therefore meeting patients from a variety of socio-cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. In addition to endemic diseases, the new immigrants are exposed to Western illness and disease patterns and psychic reactions to life events, and the on-going adaptive process may add to the dilemmas of segregation in housing and work. During consultations, doctors and patients frame this ill health by culturally determined ideas of health, illness, and treatment. This paper deals with Scandinavian studies concerning transcultural issues in primary care by exploring the Scandinavian literature. Relatively few studies were found in the databases. Many of them were small, making it difficult to generalise the findings. Descriptive explorative studies suggest problems in communication, behaviour, mental ill health, physiotherapy, and organisation of care. No studies were found concerning issues such as genital mutilation, environmental diseases, family conflicts, or chronic disorders other than pain. From action research studies or randomised-controlled trials, it can be cautiously concluded that psychiatric care may be little accepted in many immigrant groups and that immigrants with non-specific pain are best handled in primary care where dialogue about pain is to be preferred to traditional treatment. Brief advice regarding communication and organisation of care is also given. In our opinion, studies using action research methods are to be preferred, since clinical transcultural care deals with complex illness patterns, including many emotional dilemmas.

Cultural sensitivity in psychiatry: A transcultural practice experiences in Italy

The idea of the relationship between psychiatry and the society in which the psychiatrists live and practice has been developed by many schools: social psychiatry, cultural psychiatry, culture and ...

Transcultural Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom: Concepts and Research

The United Kingdom (UK) today is an ethnically diverse society. Legislation and the profession's own code of conduct highlight the need for occupational therapists to engage in culturally sensitive practice. This article comprises a contextual analysis of transcultural occupational therapy in the UK based upon a review of the research published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy during 1990–1997. The article focuses initially on terminology to allow a clearer understanding of the issues surrounding transcultural service provision, and the dominant models currently used to conceptualise and implement transcultural practice in health care are also outlined. Discussion of both provides the contextual basis for an analysis of the research. From the material examined, it appears that cultural sensitivity needs to be developed at all levels before occupational therapists can be said to be providing an equitable service to the ethnically diverse communities of the UK.

Ethical issues in European psychiatry

SummaryEuropean psychiatrists and psychiatric service planners are confronting new ethical dilemmas as a direct or indirect result of European integration. These dilemmas present themselves at a variety of levels, ranging from the individual doctor-patient relationship to national and international legislations. We review some of the areas in which ethical questions may arise as a result of increasing European unity. Some of the issues may seem minor but are likely to have some impact on any psychiatrist exposed to transcultural practice in the European Union. Other examples have been selected not because they are common but because of their massive ethical ramifications. Attempts, by psychiatrists, to address these issues pro-actively are few and far apart.

Residents' perceptions of transcultural psychiatric practice.

A questionnaire was distributed to 190 psychiatry residents to analyze the impact of three factors on residents' perceptions of their transcultural practice: cultural identity of residents; degree of exposure to patients from different cultures; and training in cultural psychiatry. Results suggest that residents' perceptions vary according to the resident's cultural origin. The training in psychiatry and the degree of exposure to patients from different cultures had no significant influence on the residents' perceptions. Overall these results emphasize the necessity to revise the cultural content of residents' psychiatry curriculum to, among other things, raise residents' awareness of their own cultural identity.

Comments on “Residents' perceptions of transcultural psychiatric practice”

Comments on “Residents' perceptions of transcultural psychiatric practice”

Europe and psychiatric ethics

European Integration confronts both Individual psychiatrists and psychiatric service planners with ethical dilemmas that should best be dealt with proactively by medical and psychiatric organisations. Selected examples are presented of ethical Issues arising out of differences In psychiatric practice across Europe. Some of the ethical implications may seem relatively minor, but still require a major adjustment effort on the part of psychiatrists who are exposed to transcultural practice In the European Union. Other examples have been selected, not because they are common, but because of their massive ethical ramifications.

Transcultural Nursing and Health Care Issues in Urban and Rural Contexts

The distinction between urban and rural health care has been based largely on population density, with little attention given to contextual meaning of patterns related to the lifeways of the people. When considering sociocultural factors, the differentiation becomes more complex. In this paper some of the transcultural nursing issues and challenges are discussed in relation to cultural context and health care trends in urban and rural settings. Four urban-rural health-related issues with transcultural dimensions are examined. Migration patterns, diversity among rural communities, utilization of services, and change related to intervention strategies are identified as transcultural nursing knowledge and practice in relation to urban and rural contexts.

The Field Practicum and Transcultural Practice:

In order to operationalize transcultural practice and empowerment into a social work curriculum, a theoretical model, La Practica, is proposed. Combining competence with commitment, a field program is presented using principles of liberation education within an established administrative structure.

The Immigrant Haitian Mother: Transcultural Nursing Perspective on Preventive Health Care for Children

Thirty immigrant Haitian mothers in Southeast Florida were interviewed regarding their beliefs and practices about preventive health care (illness prevention and health maintenance measures) for infants and preschool children (up to age 5). All mothers used preventive health care measures from both the Western biomedical and traditional Haitian ethnomedical (folk) systems. Ninety-seven percent used magico-religious measures; 47% administered home remedies; 47% gave children over-the-counter drugs; and 35% utilized a variety of measures to ensure cold air did not enter neonates and cause illness or pain. The Haitian mothers considered the preventive health care measures effective because the children remained healthy and will likely use them again. They sought consultation from a variety of individuals who formed their health management groups and child caretaker networks. Infants and toddlers were considered at higher risk than newborns for illness due to "evil harm" inflicted by other people and/or voodoo spirits. Implications for transcultural nursing practice include developing community outreach programs, implementing nursing interventions that combine biomedical and ethnomedical preventive health care measures, and functioning as part of the health management group. The authors wish to thank Maude Vincent, R.N., for her assistance in data gathering and analysis.