Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory - Term Paper Example

Nurse theorist paper, Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory- 1985 Catastrophes, turmoil, epidemics, incurable diseases, and increased spread of diseases warrant significant human care to avert possible health crisis and deaths. Additionally, global issues such as terrorism, war on terrorism, bioterrorism, racial discriminations, among others affect the way nurses handle their nursing profession. Most notably, some of these issues occur in emergency cases prompting nurses to react instantly to despite the cultural conflicts that may arise during such situations. Human care accords prevention, treatment, recovery from sickness and guaranteed good health. However, the increasing cultural diversity, increased population, diverse health ailments, and increased modes of spreading diseases offer significant challenges to all health care personnel. The importance of health care is irreplaceable by any technological advancement because a personal touch is unique. As a result, many students enroll in nursing and clinicians field due to the significance attached to the field. But whether a student in nursing is in the clinical department, is a practitioner or a seasoned nurse, the challenges experienced from the patient population are similar and vary from different ethnic and racial groups. The response of patients to different medical procedures is not exclusive and hence a point of concern for all nurses. Governments, nongovernmental organisations, and individuals have made financial contributions to the field of nursing. Additionally, many research projects and medical studies that are in line with the aim of improving human care services have been undertaken. Many nursing models and theories discuss, explain, and help in administering effective human care in the nursing profession. Among her many contributions to nursing, Dr. Madeleine Leininger's nursing theory is a very fundamental in human care. This paper will analyze the nurse theory, Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory of 1985 by Dr. Madeleine Leininger. The paper will justify her choice and describe a specific patient /family experience that I would handle by utilizing the theory. In conclusion, the paper will describe how I would use this theory with my patient experience. Dr. Madeleine Leininger faced the challenge of combining care and culture in defining an effective cultural care model. However, she believed and aimed at providing a culturally congruent care that is fundamental for the well being and health of the patients. From her experience as a nurse and an anthropologist, she observed that we need a blend of cultural knowledge and nursing care to address different cultures and their different ways of caring. The theory originates from the increasing multiculturalism around the world, different methods and conceptions of care and the need to diversify human care. The theory, Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory develops from anthropology and nursing principles in 1985. The theory states that all nurses must consider moral values of individuals, families and groups, their cultural beliefs and caring behaviors in according a culturally congruent, effective, and satisfying nursing care (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, n.d ). To understand this nursing theory, Dr. Madeleine Leininger observes that one must understand the four nursing metaparadigms that include the concepts of persons, health, environment, and nursing. The theory encourages nurses to study generic and professional care to get all the necessary concepts of nursing (Leininger, 1989). She argues that the best definition of nursing hails from care or specifically human care, which is essential for human life, survival, and development. She relevantly refers to culture as a collection of beliefs, norms, and values, learnt and shared life practices that guide our thinking, decision making and course of action. She notes that culture is fundamental in easing or improving a patient’s condition. Though caring is universal, Dr. Madeleine Leininger notes that actions, patterns, expressions, and meanings should apply selectively. In the theory, she qualified health as a universal concept that defined according to the culture in application. She dictates that for a nurse to provide appropriate cultural care, she must have adequate knowledge on cultural diversity. In applying the theory, Dr. Madeleine Leininger observes that the nurses need to use culture care preservation, culture care accommodation, or culture care restructuring to achieve a culturally congruent care that is fundamental for explaining and predicting well-being of the patients (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, n.d). My choice on the Nurse theorist Madeleine M Leininger was reliant on various factors. The theorist was in a better position to make some input in the nursing profession subject to her experience as a nurse and as an anthropologist. The theorist has also made other significant contributions in this field where her information was relevant and valuable. Additionally, her theory touches on a very crucial aspect of culture. This is because America has a cultural diversity with some nurses and patients being immigrants. Hence, the idea of blending culture with nursing was necessary in seeking better ways of availing an effective human care to the diverse American culture. Additionally, this is the only theory that focuses on human care in the concept of multiculturalism, language, environmental and social structure background (Leininger, 1989). Moreover, the theory is flexible in accommodating conceptualized care and all factors associated with human health and care. The theory considerably allows nurses to study specific cultures and communities in order to equip the nurses with necessary skills and knowledge in attending patients (Leininger, 1989). The theory is also realistic and a basis for many studies and research projects. Indeed, the study and practice of nursing missed a wholistic concept before this theory came to application. I must admit that I had to face cultural shock at the beginning since my family background is based on a different culture. Although my culture reflects the American way of life, I had to deal with people of different and sometimes, conflicting culture. For instance, dealing with Vietnamese and non-English speaking mothers was quite a challenge at the beginning since most of our cultural attributes were conflicting. Hence, I used the theory in addressing a post partum non-English speaking patient experience. In addressing this issue, it was necessary to understand some cultures of non-English speaking mothers. The Vietnamese and non-English speaking mothers will opt for early discharge of the postpartum. The birth of a baby triggers mixed and strong emotions. Postpartum depression is a form of emotion that overwhelms mothers soon after childbirth. However, postpartum depression is preventable by provision of postpartum care in the early postpartum period. In dealing with my postpartum non- English speaking mother, I relied on the nursing best practice guidelines and Dr. Madeleine Leininger’s theory of 1985. I confirmed the depression symptoms using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). However, the patient would not complete the EPDS by herself since she could not understand English. Hence, I assisted her in completing the EPDS and cautiously used my clinical judgment to interpret the cut-off criterion since the patient was non-English speaking (RNAO, 2005). This was very necessary because the EPDS cut-off scores higher than12 confirm depressive indications especially on English-speaking women in the postpartum period but may mean differently among the non-English speaking mothers, those who use English as a second language, and those with diverse cultures (RNAO, 2005). Hence, to avoid a misinterpretation, a detailed check was necessary. Since I would not communicate with her in due to the language barrier, I facilitated a peer support group of mothers from her cultural background. Her culture manifests maximum respect for mothers and children as well as valuing communal support. The mothers would help her in her chores, talk to her, and offer moral support. In fact, I also sought the involvement of her husband and other family members in providing care and moral support to the postpartum mothers. Hence, the peer support group, husband, and family members would help her ease the postpartum depression. My understanding on culture diversity and application of cultural care was significant in offering effective care to the post partum non-English speaking mother. I will additionally use the theory with my patient experience to accord effective human care support. In doing this, I will equip myself with knowledge on more cultural diversities so as to understand the cultural beliefs, norms, and perceptions on human care as portrayed by different patients in our culture. I will then blend this cultural knowledge with my patient experience to handle various human care assignments. In conclusion, I find that human care is subject to influence by many factors including race, increase in population, rise in disease spreading mechanisms, and diversity of diseases. However, although many theories and models have contributed to the nursing personnel, the nursing theory by Dr. Madeleine Leininger stands out. The Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory of 1985, has great significance in addressing human care with relation to culture diversity. The theory is widely developed and consequently used in studying and practicing nursing. References Jones and Bartlett Publishers (n.d) Culture Care: Diversity and Universality Theory JBPub Retrieved from http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763756505/56505_CH01_Dayer.pdf Leininger, Madeleine. (1989). Care, discovery, and uses in clinical and community nursing. London: Wayne State University Press, 1989. Print. RNAO. (2005). Interventions for Postpartum Depression RNAO Retrieved from http://www.rnao.org/Storage/11/600_BPG_Post_Partum_Depression.pdf Read More