Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health Care

Marilyn Ray's book is more than timely. She has done superb job writing a book which covers so many different elements of transcultural caring in nursing. She has delved into spiritual and ethical aspects of caring that are so critical in today's US healthcare delivery systems. I particularly liked the case studies that she provided, along with probing questions at the end of each chapter, which make the reader think. Her probes for self reflection are important as well. Ray has included caring within the major world's religions which is useful addition to nursing. Ray's Transcultural Communicative Spiritual Caring Tool for Cultural Competency: C Compassion: A Advocacy, R Respect, I Interaction, N Negotiation, & G Guidance covers every aspect of the nurse patient relationship, but can also be applied to the nurse interacting with all those within healthcare delivery systems. Each component is explicated in clear ways that can be applied directly in nursing practice. She makes clear that Awareness, Understanding and Choice are critical for the nurse who is transculturally caring, and one must have self aware to acknowledge honestly one's own [unconscious] biases and prejudices. Ray included a citation at the beginning of Chapter 6 that reasonated with me "Deep within us when the noise of other appetites is stilled, there is a drive to know, to understand, to see why...." I found my drive to know to understand etc was restimulated. Not only does this book provide insights into the cultures of many different ethnic group Ray has also included organizational culture and caring for which she is justly well known. This is a book I would recommend for any nurse who is aware that those for whom we as nurses care for have values, beliefs and perceptions of needs that may be different from ours as nurses and the insights provided are a good roadmap to improve the quality of care. Marilyn Ray is a worthy inheritor and expander of Madeleine M. Leininger's seminal transcultural work, but she has blazed her own trail in new ways. If caring is the obligation of nursing then the discussion on the ethics of transcultural nursing care is much needed. This is a Must Have book for one's library. Congratulations, Marilyn and thank you, Jane Sumner PhD, RN, APRN, BC

Marilyn Ray's book, Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health Care, provides a dynamic and reflective approach to the study of culture, for use in nursing education. The book weaves together essential concepts of caring, transcultural context, ethics, and spirituality to create a conceptual framework for studying culture in healthcare situations. Chapters include rich examples of the meaning of participation in diverse cultural groups. The Self Reflection exercises at the end of each chapter can be used as a basis for personal development as well as group discussion. The book is filled with case studies that form the basis for stimulating in-class or on-line discussions. Rather than a static breakdown of cultures, this book takes a dynamic approach to the cocreative process of seeking meaning within a cultural context.