Understanding Nurses' Perspectives of Providing Care for Immigrant Patients and Bridging the Cultural Care Gap

Liang, Hwey-Fang

Tuesday, 23 July 2013: 1:50 PM

Hwey-Fang Liang, PhD, RN
Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chia-Yi Campus, Puzi city, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Kuang-Ming Wu, EdD
Early Childhood Education, National Chia-Yi University, Ming-Shong, Chia-Yi County, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to understand nurses’ perspectives of providing transcultural care for immigrant patients.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to realize concepts and methods to bridge the cultural care gap through transculturally nursing care.

Purpose: The number of transnational marriages among Taiwanese and people from Southeast Asia as new immigrants are increasing in these years. The purpose of this study is to explore nurses’ perspectives of providing care for immigrant patients in Taiwan and create how cultural care competences will be.

Methods: Qualitative research method was conducted in this study. A purposive sample of twenty eight Taiwanese nurses was selected to participate in in-depth audio-taped interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was applied to explore and obtain the data from each participant. Data were analyzed by applying Colaizzi's (1978) method as a qualitative content analysis. Data collection and analysis proceeded simultaneously. Additionally, credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were assessed and enhanced the rigorousness of this study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Results: Nurses’ perspectives of providing care for immigrant patients were captured in three main themes and sub-themes: (1) carrying cultural care burden (cultural care knowledge, cultural care skills, cultural impressions, communications); (2) confronting cultural care challenges (empathizing; ignoring, enthusiasm); (3) equipping cultural care competences (group counseling, continuing education)

Conclusion: In-service education to help nurses improve cultural care competence in immigrant patient care should emphasize cultural care knowledge, cultural care skills and communications. A cultural care competence protocol could be used to bridge the cultural care gap among immigrant patients and nurses relationship while providing nursing care in clinical practice.

See more of: Initiatives in Culturally Competent Care
See more of: Research Sessions: Oral Paper & Posters