Importance of Transcultural Nursing (Ethnonursing) to Everyday Nursing Practice

Madeleine Leininger Transcultural Ethnonursing

Madeleine Leininger, a nurse anthropologist, created the transcultural nursing also known as ethnonursing. It is a research technique to aid researchers and nurses in examining cross-cultural human care experiences. Moreever learning the information that nurses need to give care in a society that is becoming more and more diverse. Ethnonursing was created at a period when nurses were required to transition from predominantly ethnocentric to intercultural perspectives to provide appropriate care for people everywhere (Collins et al. 556). To record, describe, comprehend, and evaluate peoples’ healthcare interpretations (how they perceive and interpret care) and daily lifestyles, the technique employs an open, primarily inductive methodology (cultural practices).

General Principles of Transcultural Nursing

Four general principles are included in the ethnonursing research methodology. The first principle suggests retaining an attitude of true learning, communication skills, and open exploration. By expressing respect for the people, being open to learning from them, and minimizing ethnocentric bias, the nurse maintains her role in an active learning process. The second principle emphasizes actively engaging in thought about the significance of what is viewed, understood, or sensed alongside the informants. The nurse grows sensitive to the interpretive (professional) perspective’s impact on the ethological (local) viewpoint. The third principle advocates documenting all that informants say to preserve their thoughts and meanings (Belém et al. n.p.). The need for a knowledgeable ethnonursing research mentor as a guiding principle is stressed in the fourth premise.

Improtance of Transcultural/ Ethnoursing

In a society that is becoming more multicultural, the ethnonursing research technique produces knowledge to assist nurses and other practitioners in caring for people from a variety of cultures. The goal of the ethnonursing study is to explain how people understand, experience, and apply healthcare in their everyday lives. Discovering etic (professionals) and emic (people’s) values, beliefs, care behaviors, and health practices during the research process allows for participant observation, engagement, and reflection (Wehbe-Alamah et al. 59). The ethnonursing research methodology help to identify, value, and improve people’s methods of knowing and give weight to how they wish to be cared for.

Work cited

Belém, Jameson Moreira, et al. “Theoretical, methodological and analytical aspects of ethnographic research in obstetric nursing: an integrative review.” Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP 54 (2020).
Collins, John W., et al. “Cultural aspects of end-of-life advance care planning for African Americans: An ethnonursing study.” Journal of Transcultural Nursing 32.5 (2021): 558-566.
Wehbe-Alamah, Hiba, et al. “An Ethnohistory of the Transcultural Nursing Scholars and Their Contributions to the Field.” Journal of Transcultural Nursing 32.1 (2021): 50-58.