Book Reviews
Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care (5th Edn)
By Margaret M Andrews and Joyceen S Boyle
ISBN: 978-0-7817903-7-6 2008 xx+487 pages Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Reviewed by Sandra J Mixer
Assistant Professor of Nursing, Middle Tennessee State University; PhD Candidate, University of Northern Colorado, Franklin TN, United States of America
As the world becomes increasingly multicultural, the fifth edition of Andrew’s and Boyle’s well-known transcultural nursing text continues to synthesise transcultural theories, models, and research to facilitate culturally congruent and competent nursing care. This comprehensive text focuses on application of transcultural nursing knowledge to nursing practice encompassing the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and institutions across the lifespan. Rather than memorising a laundry list of cultural groups’ attributes, Andrews and Boyle purport that through cultural assessment and critical thinking, nurses throughout their professional careers will be able to meet the culture care needs of diverse people.
The book is divided into four parts: historical and theoretical foundations of transcultural nursing; transcultural nursing across the lifespan; nursing in multicultural health care settings; and contemporary challenges in transcultural nursing. With its focus on application to nursing practice, each chapter includes case studies and learning activities based on each author’s actual clinical encounters. New features in this edition are boxes containing evidenced based practice research studies to assist the reader in applying knowledge to practice.
The chapters related to creating culturally competent organisations and cultural diversity in the health care workforce are especially useful for students and nurses who may embrace transcultural care of diverse patients and families and yet, may not have considered how to apply this knowledge to working with diverse colleagues. The text emphasises the importance of creating an organisational environment where cultural similarities and differences are embraced and may be crucial for facilitating culturally congruent and competent care.
This comprehensive text provides an excellent resource for nursing practice and is useful for nursing students, nurses, educators, researchers, and administrators. Andrews and Boyle bring together theory, research and practice to support nurses in their quest to provide culturally competent and congruent care.
