Faktorer av betydelse vid transkulturell omvårdnad

Abstract

Background: Sweden is a multicultural country where 14,7 % of the population persists of foreign born persons. People from other cultures can have different thoughts and needs that can result in that they have different expectations and behaviours than nurses usually meet. Differences in language and culture can generate problems in the nursing care. Aim: By nurses’ experiences describe factors of importance in transcultural nursing in somatic care. Method: The study was conducted as a literature review based on 12 scientific, empirical studies which were quality assessed and analyzed. Results: Factors that appeared to be of importance in transcultural nursing were difficulties in communication, culturally based behaviours and relatives’ participation. Discussion: Difficulties in communication were considered of importance to the patients’ participation in the nursing care. Nurses’ lack of understanding patients’ and relatives’ culturally based behaviours were considered to cause difficulties in delivering holistic and individualistic nursing care. Relatives’ participation in the nursing care was considered to represent a function that can favour all parties; nurses, patients and relatives. Conclusion: To be able to make patients a part of the nursing care when communication difficulties exist, and to enable holistic and individualistic nursing care to patients with other cultural background, the relatives’ participation, communication tools and nurses’ cultural competence is of importance.