TRANSCULTURAL NURSING COURSE DESCRIPTION
Transcultural Nursing explores cultural beliefs and practices as they apply to a population’s health and the development of illnesses, as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups. Course materials and resources allow students to explore appropriate communication, cultural needs within the nursing scope of practice, and patient-centered care based on cultural values and preferences. Students will also identify disparities in health and health care among cultural groups.
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING COURSE DESIGN
Transcultural nursing applies knowledge of differences in cultural norms and best practices to the provision of care based on the history, religion, and traditions of the patient. Nurses can provide higher-quality care when they are well versed in patients’ cultural practices and belief systems. In this course, students will learn about diverse customs and methods of health care, including folk remedies and the use of complementary and alternative care options, as well as how to gather information from patients in order to provide the best possible care.
Throughout the course, the role of the nurse in the delivery of culturally competent care is examined. Students will participate in weekly discussions that focus on the foundations of transcultural care, the customs of individual cultures, and best-practice methodology. Quizzes and the Final Exam address terminology and definitions as well as concept comprehension. There are two written assignments in the course. The Week Two assignment allows students to analyze a medical case study to identify areas that can be the basis for bias and develop questions that enable practitioners to ascertain critical information from patients. This assignment also provides an opportunity to compare and contrast cultural norms. The Week Four assignment utilizes cultural case studies. Students learn to develop exploratory questions to determine patients’ cultural behaviors and evaluate community services in order to adapt nursing practices to achieve quality health outcomes for diverse populations.
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
1. Explain the importance of communication for diverse patient populations in nursing practice.
2. Synthesize nursing care based on unique cultural needs’ assessment(s) and nursing scope of practice.
3. Apply the concept of quality care for specific group(s) based on cultural preferences.
4. Articulate specific similarities and differences in nursing care amongst different cultural groups.