Madeleine Leininger’s Trancultural nursing theory overview and clinical application

Introduction and background
“ A lack of cultural and care knowledge is the missing link to nursing’s understanding of the many variations required in patient care.” (Sitzman, Eichelberger, 2011, p. 93).

Madeleine Leininger first developed the transcultural nursing theory in the 1950’s. She had an epiphany during some time spent in a child guidance home. She deduced that the reoccurring behavior patterns in the children had an underlying cultural basis (Sitzman, Eichelberger, 2011). She formed a theory of Culture Care to improve the way people of multiple cultures are being cared for in hospitals and other care centers. Leininger preferred to address patient care as a holistic project and incorporated her theory to caring about the patient’s mental and emotional wellbeing as it relates to a patient’s cultural comfort level with any particular medical procedure or nursing care protocol. She addressed the need to change nursing from a merely physical and physiological care of a patient into a more encompassing role of addressing cares as they relate to culture and religious beliefs of patients (Leininger, 1992, p. 1). This paper will define the theory and discuss cliical applications of this theory. Culture, caring, diversity and values are keywords one observes in this Theory’s basic tenets. Basic assumptions one sees from reading a summarized listing of the theory’s tenets are that culture and care are intertwined. A nurse cannot provide complete care of a patient without taking into consideration the patient’s cultural values. Leininger views the patients as individuals with their own views and values based on their culture, personal upbringing and religious beliefs. Nursing is “a learned profession with a disciplined focus on care phenomena” (Sitzman, 2011, p. 94).