The relevance of transcultural nursing to international nursing

Abstract

Does transcultural nursing as taught in United States' nursing education programmes adequately prepare US nurses for experiences in international health as they assist with the implementation of changes in another country's health care delivery system? That's the question posed by Lydia DeSantis, who is concerned that US nurses need a broader perspective of health care and culture in order to effect changes needed at the national level of policy and decisionmaking to meet the challenges of the Declaration of Alma-Ata. Her concerns about the focus of transcultural nursing are also relevant to INR's international readers, as it offers another perspective on how to persuade policymakers in their countries to reassess and initiate the health programmes needed to attain WHO's HFA goal.