Die realiteit van transkulturele verpleging: 'n etiese perspektief: research

Transcultural nursing refers to the provision of nursing care to patients whose values, beliefs and life-style differ from those of the nurse. To enable nurses to honour their ethical obligation to provide quality care, they must have the necessary knowledge to nurse patients across cultural boundaries. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which basic, post-basic and personnel development programs prepare nurses to nurse patients across cultural boundaries, to determine their attitudes towards the culturally different patient and to identify specific problems that nurses encounter when they nurse culturally different patients. This study could be classified as quantitative research. A questionnaire was used to collect data in this descriptive survey. The research is limited to registered nurses in an academic hospital in Gauteng in wards where patients stay overnight. The population consisted of all the registered nurses that met this requirement. This method ensured that respondents from all the different cultural groups represented in the hospital were included. A total of 219 registered nurses received questionnaires. The questionnaire was developed by the researcher and consists of five sections that include biographical data, questions regarding respondents' basic and and post-basic training, professional experience, attitudes towards culturally different patients and problems they encounter in transcultural nursing. The processing of the data was done on a program that was written according to the SAS-system (Statistical Analysis System) V.6.09. The UNIX-system was used for the analysis of some questions while further data analysis was done with a procedure known as analysis of variance (ANOVA SS). The findings of the study suggest that nurses caring for culturally different patients share many common experiences and problems. Although they see it as a challenge to nurse patients from different cultures, it was found that they do not have the necessary knowledge to provide culture-sensitive care. Other factors, such as the nurse's attitude towards culturally different patients, problems with communication, mistrust and prejudice contribute to the lack of culture-sensitive care. It is recommended that the nursing profession pay attention to these problems. Both the nursing profession and the hospital ities have a responsibility to the members, employees and the patients to provide nurses with the skills and knowledge they need to give culture-sensitive care. Problems that were identified should be addressed and hospitals must endeavour to identify and solve unique problems. Transkulturele verpleging verwys na die voorsiening van verpleegsorg aan pasiënte wie se kulturele waardes, oortuigings en lewenswyse van die van die verpleegkundige verskil. Ten einde hulle etiese verpligting na te kom om sorg van hoogstaande gehalte aan alle pasiënte te lewer, moet verpleegkundiges oor die nodige kennis beskik om oor kultuurgrense te verpleeg. Die doel met hierdie studie was om die mate waarin basiese, na-basiese en personeelontwikkelingsprogramme verpleegkundiges toerus om oor kultuurgrense te verpleeg en hul houdings jeens die kultureel-verskillende pasiënt te bepaal en om spesifieke probleme wat in die verpleging van die kultureel-verskillende pasiënt ervaar word, te identifiseer. Hierdie navorsing kan as kwantitatiewe navorsing geklassifiseer word. Data in hierdie beskrywende opnamenavorsing is deur middel van 'n vraelys ingesamel. Die navorsing is beperk tot geregistreerde verpleegkundiges in 'n akademiese hospitaal in Gauteng wat werksaam is in afdelings waar pasiënte oornag. Alle geregistreerde verpleegkundiges wat aan hierdie vereiste voldoen het, het deel uitgemaak van die populasie. Hierdie metode het verseker dat respondente van al die kultuurgroepe wat in die hospitaal verteenwoordig is ingesluit is. 'n Totaal van 219 geregistreerde verpleegkundiges het vraelyste ontvang. Geen bestaande vraelys was beskikbaar nie en die vraelys is deur die navorser ontwikkel. Die vraelys bestaan uit vyf afdelings wat biografiese besonderhede, vrae rakende respondente se basiese en na-registrasie opleiding, vrae oor professionele ondervinding, vrae oor respondente se houdings jeens kultureel-verskillende pasiënte en probleme in transkulturele verpleging insluit. Die verwerking van die data is gedoen met behulp van 'n program wat volgens die SAS-stelsel (Statistical Analysis System) V.6.09 geskryf is. Daar is verder ook gebruik gemaak van die UNIX-stelsel vir die ontleding van enkele vrae. Data is verder verwerk met behulp van 'n variansie-analise (ANOVA SS). Die bevindings van hierdie studie dui daarop dat verpleegkundiges wat kultureel-verskillende pasiënte verpleeg baie algemene ervarings en probleme deel. Alhoewel hulle dit as 'n uitdaging sien om pasiënte van verskillende kulture te verpleeg, is daar gevind dat hulle nie oor die nodige kennis beskik om kultuursensitiewe sorg te verskaf nie. Ander faktore soos die verpleegkundige se houding jeens kultureel-verskillende pasiënte, probleme met kommunikasie, wantroue en vooroordeel dra by tot die gebrek aan kultuursensitiewe sorg. Die verpleegprofessie moet aan hierdie probleme aandag gee. Die verpleegprofessie sowel as die hospitaalowerhede het 'n verantwoordelikheid teenoor die lede, werknemers en die pasiënte om verpleegkundiges toe te rus met die vaardighede en kennis wat hulle benodig om kultuursensitiewe sorg te verskaf. Probleme wat geïdentifiseer is moet aangespreek word en hospitale moet poog om unieke probleme te identifiseer en op te los. (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2002 7(2): 3-13