Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Nursing Theory or Culture Care Theory hypothesizes that human care is what makes people mortal, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and feeling healthy. She believes in helping others and “there can be no curing without caring, but caring can exist without curing” (Leininger, 1984; Leininger ; McFarland, 2002).
Leininger’s theory stresses the culture-based factors and describes how cultural experience may have a candid influence on each person’s perception of health, healing, illness, and death. Her theory explains how the nurse knowing and understanding diverse cultural needs in order to provide effective healing, comprehensive, and holistic nursing care to all ethnic groups.
Each individual perceives health and wellness in a different aspect compared to the next. These convictions and practices straightforwardly link to his/her culture. Patients who feel his/her values or beliefs are disregarded or set aside, may decline or postpone care or may hold back important information.
Together the nurse and the patient can create or change the plan of care that is directed towards the needs of the patient and avoid labeling an individual based on race or ethnicity. Cultural competence enables nurses to understand beyond the medical conditions and be able to provide high-quality effective care regardless of culture. Often time nurses do not realize the small things can make a big difference in the patient’s care. The purpose of this theory is considered a strength because it describes what is faced with nursing today.
Nurses do not always encounter patient’s that have the same insights regarding health and illness. There may be disagreements and sometimes feelings get hurt. However, in nursing setting aside differences, setting mutual goals, and empowering the patient will make working much easier. Both the patient and nurse will be more culturally aware of each other’s cultural view. It never hurts to have more knowledge.
