by Arlene T. Farren, PhD, RN, AOCN, CTN-A, TCNS member and current Chair of the TCNS Foundation Committee
Leininger (2006), theorist and founder of the Transcultural Nursing Society, clearly stated the purpose of her Culture Care Theory, which included concepts such as discovery, knowledge, explanation, and documentation. Discovery is one possible outcome of research as are knowledge development, explanation, and documentation. Likewise, these concepts come into play for students seeking to enhance their knowledge and discovery of transcultural nursing so they have a better understanding and are better prepared to care in culturally congruent ways.
The Transcultural Nursing Society Foundation, has at its core, the purpose of raising funds to support research and scholarships. This purpose makes it possible to enhance our knowledge, provide descriptions and explanations, and open doors for potential new discoveries. I believe that talent is all around us! I’m not alone in that view. For example one well known world figure and philanthropist once proposed that intelligence and energy are present in every corner of America and all around the globe (Clinton, 2007). He went on to suggest there are also many with innovative ideas willing to give their all to make a difference in the lives of others but they don’t have the finances to start or complete the work. As those interested in transcultural nursing and the purposes of the Culture Care theory can imagine, in our case, those thoughts refer to nurses who wish to work toward reducing health disparities and enhancing culturally congruent care in our world. The TCN Foundation nurtures and supports our emerging scientists/researchers and students in the area of transcultural nursing to do just that! Now that’s exciting!
Too often the excitement of giving is short lived – we give, we’re thanked, and in at least the case in the US, we might include it in our tax deductions for giving/donations at the end of the year. Let’s take it a step further, let’s celebrate your giving and the awardees! Let’s look back for a moment and see the fruit of our giving, the continued growth and development of our emerging scientists/researchers. Yes, this happens through your donations to the Foundation! One example of the positive influence of our giving is the work of the 2014 TCN Research Awardee, Beth Desaretz Chiatti. Dr. Chiatti was able to complete her dissertation (2014) entitled, Culture Care beliefs and practices of an immigrant Ethiopian community: An ethnonursing study, that year (at Widener University) and went on to publish the results of her dissertation research in the Journal of Transcultural Nursing, in print in 2019. She has also published evidence-based articles as a co-author about a research database for pregnant women with diabetes (Worldviews on Evidence-based Nursing, 2019) and patterns of inheritance in Biological Research in Nursing (2017). The 2014 research award provided recognition of an emerging scientist, who continues to contribute to nursing knowledge development and to the work of the TCNS! Congratulations to Dr. Chiatti and all our past awardees over the years and to all those who gave to make the awards possible.
It is the excitement of giving to a useful cause, passion for nursing and commitment to Culture Care, and a chance to participate in an organization that provides wonderful opportunities for emerging scientists/researchers and future nurse leaders to promote culturally congruent care in their work toward reducing health disparities; it is for these reasons that I give and support the Transcultural Nursing Society Foundation. In 2020, a year marked by uncertainty and great need, it is especially important to support those transcultural nurses with intelligence, energy, and a passion for their innovative ideas who wish to pursue advanced education or conduct research related to the purposes and values of the Transcultural Nursing Society and Culture Care Theory and who need our support to accomplish the work. The Foundation looks forward to every donation regardless of size to accomplish our mutual goals. I, for one, will pledge to continue to support the TCN Foundation and I invite you to be a part of this excitement as well!
Arlene T. Farren, PhD, RN, AOCN, CTN-A, TCNS member and current Chair of the TCNS Foundation Committee
References
Aiello, L. B. & Chiatti, B. D. (2017). Primer in Genetics and Genomics, Article 4 – Patterns of Inheritance.
Biological Research for Nursing, 19(4), pp. 465-72. https://doi.org/10.117711099800417708616
Bloch, J. R.; McKeever, A.E.; Zupan, S. K.; Birati, Y.; Chiatti, B.; Devido, J. A.; Maldonado, L. T.; Geller, P. A.; Barkin, J. L. (2019). A practice-based research database to study perinatal nursing home visiting to pregnant women with diabetes. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 16(1): 60-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12340
Chiatti, B D. (2014). Culture Care beliefs and practices of an immigrant Ethiopian community: An ethnonursing study. (Doctoral Dissertation, Widener University) CINAHL Database.
Chiatti, B. D. (2019). Culture Care beliefs and practices of an immigrant Ethiopian community: An ethnonursing study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 30(4), 340-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1043659618817589
Clinton, W. J. (2007). Giving. Alfred A. Knopf.
Leininger, M. (2006). Culture care diversity and universality theory and evolution of the ethnonursing method, In. M. M. Leininger & M. R. McFarland (2006). Culture care diversity and universality: A worldwide nursing theory, 2nd ed. pp. 1-41. Jones & Bartlett.