Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Nursing Theory: Name of Theorist and Background

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can borrow numerous concepts and elements from nursing theories to improve the health outcomes of their clients. It is appropriate for healthcare workers to be aware of some of the grand and mid-range nursing theories. I believe that I can use different nursing theories to come up with an effective healthcare delivery model. One of the theories that are appropriate for my practice setting is Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). This theory is meaningful because it can guide me to deliver evidence-based care to more clients from diverse backgrounds. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Madeleine Leininger is admired by many professionals in nursing because of her contributions to the field. The transcultural concept in nursing gained much attention because of the works of Leininger. The theorist’s background is believed to have impacted the development of this nursing model. Born on 13^th July 1925, Leininger pursued her dreams tirelessly to transform the health outcomes of many people. She “pursued her diploma in nursing from St. Anthony’s Hospital School of Nursing” (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014, p. 27). She later obtained her bachelor’s degree from Creighton University (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the Catholic University of America (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). She later earned a PhD in the year 1966 (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). The idea to come up with the Transcultural Nursing Theory emerged at the time she was studying social and cultural anthropology for her PhD (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). The knowledge gained from the study encouraged her to analyze the issue of cultural differences in healthcare practice from a critical perspective. She also took up a wide range of lecturing and teaching jobs. These practices equipped her with new concepts that led to the development of the Transcultural Nursing Theory. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Leininger’s theory is believed to have evolved systematically based on her ideas and studies. This knowledge can be obtained from the books written by the theorist. The book “Culture Care Diversity and Universality” published in 1991 explored the importance of diversity in medical practice. In this text, the author acknowledged the fact that differences occur in nursing because people come from diverse backgrounds. The synthesized theory was published in another book titled “Transcultural Nursing”. The book came up with a powerful model that focused on the best nursing practices that are appropriate whenever dealing with patients from diverse backgrounds. These works led to the refinement of the Transcultural Nursing Theory in 2002.

Leininger’s nursing model addressed various concerns or problems that had been ignored for decades. Before the 1990s, many nurses were not aware of the unique role of culture in healthcare practice. Most of the practitioners during the time we’re unable to offer quality care depending on the unique needs of their patients from diverse populations. During that time, the demographics of the United States were changing significantly. That being the case, the theory emerged as a powerful model for understanding and addressing the diversity experienced in nursing (McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2014). The theory appreciated the fact that patients possessed diverse spiritual needs, cultural values, and religious beliefs. The most appropriate nursing philosophy should put these aspects into consideration. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Theory Description

The theorist uses deductive reasoning to come up with the model. This kind of approach begins with a general understanding or rule. This understanding is then developed further to come up with the theoretical framework. From the very beginning, Madeleine Leininger acknowledges that every person belongs to a given culture. That being the case, a person’s culture influences his or her behaviors, health outcomes, healing processes, and communication channels. The deductive approach is taken further to acknowledge the fact that healthcare workers should be ready to study the unique aspects and cultural attributes of their respective patients (Axford, 2015). This information is used to develop the transcultural model for effective nursing practice. The deductive approach, therefore, empowered Leininger to come up with the theory. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Several concepts have been used by the scholar to develop the theory. The first outstanding concept is that cultural competence is something meaningful in nursing. The theorist goes further to indicate that cultural knowledge is vital whenever delivering patient care. The other concept revolves around the ideas of wellbeing and illness. According to the theorist, wellness and illness are influenced by a patient’s social and cultural attributes. The other powerful concept is that “culture will influence all the major spheres of human life” (Axford, 2015, p. 6). Culture is also described as a powerful force that guides or dictates human behaviors. Nurses, therefore, should be aware of these attributes to offer effective and quality support to their clients (Viadas, 2015). This analysis reveals that the concepts have been defined operationally. This is the case because the notions are guided by the informed understanding and knowledge of the author. The description of concepts is also guided by the key definitions of the theory such as religion, culture, cultural competence, wellbeing, and intercultural communication. This is a clear indication that the use of terms and concepts in the theory is consistent. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

The concepts described above have been defined explicitly. This is the case because Leininger uses direct descriptions depending on the meaning of the key definitions in the concepts. For example, the aspect of transcultural nursing borrows a lot from culture, inclusiveness, and cultural competence (Prosen, 2015). The author indicates clearly that culture is something that will always dictate human behaviors and health outcomes. This is an explicit idea that cannot be refuted. The theorist goes further to explain how and why nurses should be aware of a population’s culture to be able to deliver evidence-based care (Viadas, 2015). Human beings use their cultural values and ideas to reshape their behaviors. This definition makes it easier for the theorist to come up with unique definitions that can be taken seriously by nurses who want to apply the model in their health practices (Axford, 2015). Some of these definitions include “trans-cultural practice, cultural awareness, cultural risks, acculturation, diversity, and ethnicity” (Axford, 2015, p. 7). Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay

Leininger’s theory of nursing has several propositions that can be used by practitioners who want to maximize their patients’ outcomes. To develop the propositions, the theorist relies on the outlined concepts and key terms. The first proposition is that nurses should be on the frontline to study the cultural aspects of the patient and deliver evidence-based care (Larson, 2014). The second proposition is that nurses should develop powerful plans that can meet the changing needs of the patients. Nurses should go further to design unique care delivery philosophies depending on the aspects of the targeted cultural groups. These propositions borrow the ideas outlined in the presented concepts (Viadas, 2015). That being the case, the concepts and propositions of the theory can guide nurses to understand and appreciate the values, cultural aspects, and beliefs of the targeted patients. This strategy will result in the development of a powerful health promotion model. Nurses and practitioners who fail to embrace these attributes will find it hard to meet the changing health needs of diverse populations. Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory Essay