Introduction to the Theory of Culture Care, Diversity, and Universality

Nurses are in constant interaction with different clients from all walks of life. Regardless of their age, status or condition, we are bound to provide them with the utmost care they deserve. It is a pledge that we made, and one that we have lived by. However, sustaining the care we provide in ensuring that they maintain their well-being is an issue.

Health education and maintenance plays a major role in healthcare and one that is highly participated by nurses. Taking into account our client’s differences in their beliefs, values and practices is tantamount to the success of health promotion. It is with this premise that a sensitivity and knowledge on cultural differences takes the stage.

Madeleine Leininger was the first to identify the impact of culture in relation to nursing. She spent years understanding and developing their connection and how one can influence the other. In this regard, she studied anthropology and utilized it in nursing. The combination of the two brought about her Theory of Cultural Diversity and Universality.

In here, she defined Transcultural Nursing as a subjective area of study and practice focused on comparative cultural care (caring) values, beliefs and practices of individuals or groups of similar or different cultures with the goal of providing culture-specific and universal nursing care practices in promoting health or well-being or to help people face unfavourable human conditions, illness or death in culturally meaningful ways (Barnum, 1998). Moreover, it goes beyond an awareness state to that of culture care nursing knowledge to practice culturally congruent and responsible care (Tomey, 1998).

Cultural Diversity and Universality is therefore the highlight of Leininger’s theory. Cultural Diversity is defined as variations in each culture. In acknowledging these differences, the nurse is able to avoid stereotyping and assume that all clients will respond to nursing care in the same manner. Culture Universality on the other hand, pertains to the similarities. Both these concepts lead to the goal of the theory and that is, “to discover similarities and differences about care and its impact on the health and well-being of groups” (Leininger, 1995)

Internalizing the concepts on culture diversity and universality gives rise to culture-specific and culturally congruent care. The former refers to the identification the client’s care practices brought about by their culture and utilizing them to plan and apply nursing care. This in turn would bring about nursing care that “fit the specific care needs and life ways” of the client (Leininger, 1995). The latter, speaks about “cognitively based assistive, supportive, facilitative, or enabling acts or decisions in order for the nurse to provide meaningful, beneficial, satisfying care that leads to health and well-being” (Leininger, 1995). This, according to Leininger, is the central idea and goal of the Theory of Cultural Care.