Leininger Theory Essay Example

Leininger Theory Paper Running Head: Culture on Health Care Nursing Using Leininger’s Cultural Theory. Name Instructor Course Institution Date Abstract This write-up is an analysis of cultural effects on health care using Leininger’s cultural care theory. It will be focusing on an Indian family who reside in the US and using the US health care facilities. Introduction Leininger’s cultural care theory is used to explain the relationship between culture and health care delivery. People of different cultures respond differently to health care delivery. Leininger identified a lack of care and cultural knowledge as being the missing link to nursing’s understanding of the many variations needed in patient care to support healing, compliance and wellness. Related to nursing care called trans-cultural nursing in the 1950s. Most elderly Indians are illiterate, with only 10% having acquired less than a fourth or fifth-grade education. Most of the religions they identify with originated from India and include Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. The most popular of them is Hinduism followed by Islam. Traditional healthcare are still quite common among the elderly population and their culture in general, with most of the elderly people seeking treatment from the traditional medical practitioners, as opposed to modern health professionals in private practices or hospitals. The Indian elderly are likely to have been influenced by various family experiences during their childhood. These rangers from traditional exterminations, disenfranchisement, various broken political treaties and some of the 18th and 19th century forced marches as well as myriads of an individual based dramatic impacts. We will write a custom essay sample on Leininger Theory specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Leininger Theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Leininger Theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The modern health care practices are the most modern practices. Traditional practices, however, continue to be practiced in India. The traditional practice is dated more than 3000 years ago and has been passed through many generations. The conflict between the impact of culture in the delivery of health care is there because, despite the availability of modern health care services, elderly Indians still seek traditional healthcare. They believe that modern methods for health care merely relieve symptoms of various ailments rather than curing. This impacts the delivery of health care to the Indians living in the US because they still believe that the modern delivery of healthcare is inferior and ineffective to the traditional health practices. Though Indians have lower prevalence of cancer, they have considerably higher prevalence of the gall baler disease and diabetes. In relation to illness and health, the health beliefs of the Indians are that most illnesses are as a result of curses, reward of one’s evil doing in the past and that health is a gift from God. They also believe that the ancestors could be appeased to cure mysterious ailments. This leads to a strong conflict between health care delivery systems and cultural practices. The other conflict is the doctors who come from the same areas. They sometimes advise a patient to go home terming the ailment as spiritual. The illness and health needs of the Igbo include; lack of drinking water, low income, malaria and overcrowding among others. Overcrowding allows easy transmission of infectious diseases. Most of the Indians die out of stroke because healthcare is neither affordable nor available for early diagnosis. People only go to the hospital when they are almost dying due to lack of health insurance (Johnson stock, 2010). Leininger, in her Culture Care theory, states that caring is not only the essence of nursing but also unique to nursing (Leininger, 1976). The roots of the theory are found in clinical practice of nursing: Leininger came to the discovery that patients from different cultures valued care more than the nurses did. An Indian family in the US for instance, has its beliefs shaped by Indian traditions, spiritual belief system, or a sense of community and healing. Conclusion The Leininger’s theory effectively explains the relationship between culture and the delivery of healthcare, e. g. among the Indians. References. Johnson, J. A Stockpf, C. H (2010). Comparative Health Systems: Global Perspectives. Sadbury Jonesand Barlett Publishers. Leininger, M. M. (1976) Transcultural Healthcare Issues and Conditions. F. A Davis Co. : University of California.