Applying Nursing Theory at Work

Nursing Theory
In a hospital setting, nurses are likely to come across many diverse patients of various backgrounds and populations. In order to treat them effectively and provide high quality care, it is important for the nurse to understand them and to be able to communicate with them. Leininger’s (2008) theory of transcultural nursing is a very helpful theory that nurses can apply to ensure that the proper cultural approach to care is provided to all patients. The basic idea behind Leininger’s theory is that the culture, values, beliefs and expectations of the patient should be considered from the cultural perspective—which means that nurses have to develop a high level of cultural competence.
This nursing theory can have the greatest impact on nurses in a hospital setting primarily because it allows the nurse to recognize the different cultural approaches to care that can make patients feel most comfortable during their hospital stay. Hospitals can be frightening places for many patients and if nurses can help the patient by understanding the patient from a cultural perspective, the patient will likely feel that that the care is of a higher quality. This is the main reason the theory is applicable and most impactful in this setting.
The article by Leininger (2008) entitled “Transcultural Nursing: Its Importance in Nursing Practice” is extremely helpful in utilizing the theory in the area of practice as it explains precisely what it is, how it works, why nurses should apply and how it can be useful for any setting. The article provides all the necessary background information and understanding that a nurse would require to implement the theory in practice. The article should be read by all nurses so that they can come to a better understanding of how transcultrual nursing can help them provide better quality care.
References
Leininger, M. (2008). Transcultural nursing: Its importance in nursing practice. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 15(1), 37.