EXAMINATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSCULTURAL NURSING ON GRADUATE CURRICULUM IN MENTAL HEALTH NURSING.
Contributors: Boston College.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 158
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study analyzed graduate mental health nursing curricular documents for the presence and degree of cultural and transcultural elements. Transcultural aspects of mental health nursing provide knowledge of clients' cultural diversity and universality in relation to mental health and expectations of care in illness. Understanding of clients' cultural differences can affect the course and outcome of counseling and hospitalization. For the purpose of the data collection, there were two sources of data; tape recorded telephone interviews with Dr. Madeleine Leininger and National League for Nursing Accreditation Self Study reports from the "Top Twenty" schools of nursing in the United States.

Qualitative research methods, in combination with quantitative frequencies of data accumulated from the curriculum documents were used for data analysis. Textual analysis (Lindkvist, 1981) and the constant comparative method (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) were the major strategies used to analyse data. Zais' (1976) curriculum theory model was used as a framework for the coding process. The Proposed Curriculum was used as a guide for content analysis.

The study identifies several major conclusions. First, there was a paucity of cultural and transcultural elements found in the sample curricula documents. Second, the data indicates that faculty influence the cultural and transcultural content taught in graduate mental health nursing programs. Third, a discontinuity was found between the language of the philosophical foundations and the curriculum components in the sample curricular documents. Fourth, it was found that qualitative research methods were taught infrequently; in contrast, quantitative research methods were taught universally. Fifth, curricular documents listing greater frequencies of cultural or transcultural curricular elements also listed more strategies to implement civil rights laws.

Implications for nursing education exist for faculty, curriculum coordinators, planners, developers and evaluators. In order to provide a culturally viable curriculum which will prepare educators and practitioners in mental health nursing, faculty, curriculum coordinators and evaluators need to include cultural and transcultural aspects of care.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: A, page: 3608.

Thesis (ED.D.)--BOSTON COLLEGE, 1988.

School code: 0016.