NCM120: DECENT WORK EMPLOYMENT & TRANSCULTURAL NURSING
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Instructor: KC Borromeo, RN
December 2023
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
INTRODUCTION
Culture
͕ The word culture was derived from a French term, which in turn
drives from a Latin “colere” which means to tend to the earth and
grow or cultivate nature.
͕ Socially transmitted knowledge of values, beliefs, norms, and
ways of life of a particular group that guide their thoughts and
behavior.
͕ The characteristic features of everyday existence (a way of life)
shared by people in a place or time.
Transcultural Nursing
͕ A substantive (individualized) area of study and practices focused
on comparative cultural care values, beliefs, and practices of
individuals or groups of similar or different cultures.
͕ Transcultural nursing’s goal is to provide culture-specific and
universal nursing care practices for the health and well-being of
people or to help them face unfavorable human conditions,
illness, or death in culturally meaningful ways.
Cultural Perspective on Childbearing Period
͕ Childbearing age is an age when women are normally able to
give birth to children.
͕ Childbearing age usually starts from puberty to menopause.
͕ Reproduction is valued across cultures because it promotes
continuity of the family and community.
͕ Pregnancy is generally associated with caring practices that
symbolize the significance of this life transition in women.
Cultural Belief Regarding Activity and Pregnancy
Perspective Belief:
͕ Indian – remain active during pregnancy to aid the baby’s
circulation.
͕ Mexican and Cambodian – keep active during pregnancy to
ensure a small baby and easy delivery.
͕ Indian and Mexican – remain happy to bring the baby joy and
good fortune.
͕ Filipino – continue daily baths and frequent shampoos to make
the baby clean.
Variant Characteristics of Culture:
Restricted Belief:
͕ Mexican, Haitian, and Asian – avoid cold air during pregnancy to
prevent physical harm to the fetus.
͕ African, American, Hispanic, White Asian – do not reach over
your head or the cord will wrap around the baby's neck.
͕ Vietnamese, Filipino – do not continue sexual intercourse or harm
will come to you and the baby.
͕ Indians – do not tie a knot or a braid or allow the baby's father to
do so because it will cause difficult labor.
͕ Pueblo Indian, Asian – do not sew.
Culture–Universal and Culture–Specific Child Rearing
͕ The pattern of raising children that is specific to a particular
society, subculture, family, or period and cultural history.
͕ It varies in such areas as methods of discipline, expression of
affection, and degree of permissiveness.
Child Rearing Cultural Norms around the World
͕ American parents have a strong interest in learning about child
development and philosophies about child rearing, perhaps to
ensure that they are more prepared to raise their child to the best
of their ability.
͕ In Brazil, for example, children remain an integral part of their
families even after they grow up and move out.
͕ In the Netherlands, time together as a family is actively
encouraged.
͕ In Japan and Norway, it is common to see parents that are
focused on cultivating independent children. Whether it is seeing
children walking alone at a young age or letting them ride the
subway school or completing household errands –children are
seen more regularly without parental supervision.
Transcultural Perspective in the Nursing Care of Adults
͕ Western society's middle adulthood stage is known to be the
most challenging. This stage is the most difficult because it is
frequently perceived as the long stage from childhood and older
adulthood. Thus, adult development requires adaptation to
changes, preparedness for later years, and an acceptance of
foreseen mortality.
͕ Middle eastern women face many challenges during the transition
to adulthood. For instance, most women have been sexually
abused, with low probability of obtaining a job and political
power. Women constantly are struggling to fight for rights and
their own independence.
͕ In white middle-class families, both genders are perceived
equally and like middle eastern. Culture influences how men or
women manage to handle their personal relations between
genders.
Adult Health Transitions and Nursing Interventions
͕ In a health or illness transitional event, it is best to be
well-managed by the provision of culturally related health
promotion and risk reduction approaches. An illness may impact
an individual at first. So, it is important for the nurse to initially
provide nursing interventions that are health-promoting.
͕ For example, a patient diagnosed with HIV/AIDS will need family
support and family counseling guidance.
͕ Another illness situational crisis may be type 2 diabetes. Newly
diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes require extensive family
support, lifestyle changes, and nutritional guidance.
Cultural Diversity
͕ Cultural diversity in the existence of a variety of cultural groups
within a society.
͕ Nationality – one cannot change his/her nationality but over time
many people have changed their names to better fit into society
or decrease discrimination. For example, many Jews changed the
spelling of their last names during and after World War II to avoid
discrimination.
͕ Race – Race cannot be changed, but people can and do make
changes in their appearance, such as with cosmetic surgery.
͕ Color – skin color cannot usually be changed on a permanent
basis.
͕ Age – age cannot be changed, but many people go to extensive
lengths to make themselves look younger. One’s worldview
changes with age. In some cultures, older people are looked
upon with reverence and increased respect. Age difference with
the accompanying worldview is frequently called the generational
gap.
͕ Religious Affiliations – people can and do change their religious
affiliations or self identify as atheists. However, if someone
changes his/her religious affiliations:
͕ For example, from Judaism to Pentecostal to Baptist to
Islam.
͕ A significant stigma may occur within their family or
community.
1
͕ Educational Status – as education increases, people’s
worldview changes and increases their knowledge base for
decision making.
͕ Socioeconomic Status – socioeconomic status can change
either up or down and can be a major determinant for access to
and use of healthcare.
͕ Occupation – one’s occupation can change. Of course, an
occupation can be a health risk if employment is in a coal mine,
on a farm, or in a high-stress position. In addition, someone who
is educated in the health professions would not have as much
difficulty with health literacy.
͕ Military Experience – people who have military experience may
be more accustomed to hierarchical decision making and rules of
authority.
͕ Political Beliefs – political affiliation can change according to
one’s ideology. One of the major reasons for migration is
ideological and political beliefs.
͕ Urban versus Rural Residence – people can change their
residence with concomitant changes in ideology with different
health risks and access to healthcare.
͕ Enclave Identity – for people who primarily live and work in an
ethnic enclave where they can get their needs met without mixing
with the world outside, they may be more traditional than people
in their home country.
͕ Marital Status – married people and people with partners
frequently have a different worldview than those without partners.