Home

Education

The need for good training in transcultural nursing for all student nurses is vital to the future of effective nursing care. With the marked increase of cultural diversity in our society, transcultural nursing will be even more relevant and imperative for all health care professionals. Leninger believes that "(n)ursing schools will experience an urgent demand to become knowledgeable and competent in transcultural nursing" (Leininger, 1995, p. 29). Cultural awareness is becoming a standard part of curriculum in college nursing programs. "Classroom courses on cultural diversity, lectures explaining the influence of culture on illness and presentations about ethnicity and health have become commonplace in most schools of nursing" (McGrath, 1998 p.19). Many researchers recognize the importance of this topic: "(i)ncorporating transcultural content throughout the health care curricula is vital to the holistic educational experience (Benjamin, et al.,1999, p.66 ]." The material can be integrated into existing curriculae, or taught as separate units:

"One approach is the 'concept principle incorporation approach,' in which transcultural nursing content is introduced into existing courses. In a second approach, 'modules or specified cultural care units' are taught by transcultural nursing faculty." (Reeves, 2001, p.141)

Researchers feel that nurses themselves recognize the need for this type of education:

Current nurses who were interviewed expressed the desire for more effective education. In this they affirmed the potential of education to be a catalyst for the provisions of culturally sensitive care. (Kirkham, 1998, p.135)

Benjamin et al. (2000) affirmed and developed this concept.

Many (students) indicate their desire for continued exposure and desire to seek opportunities to interact with people of varied cultures. Students became aware of, and gained a greater sense of appreciation for the holistic differences in us all. (p.67)

Classroom training is not a substitute for on-the-job training, but rather an important adjunct to it. "It is imperative for the practitioner to understand that the client is the expert and the best teacher regarding his or her own cultural needs" (Reeves, 2001. 141). DiCicco-Bloom endorsed the value of clinical experience in transcultural education, saying that programs should involves nurses "not as tourists", but as active participants. (DiCicco-Bloom, 2000, p.32)