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Abstract:
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The purpose of this study was to analyze the cultural content of selected
psychiatric/mental health nursing textbooks. The study was based on Madeleine
Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality. Four major research
questions were posed for the study: (1) What cultures are represented in
psychiatric/mental health nursing textbooks?; (2) How frequently is each culture
represented?; (3) What is the context within which each culture is represented?; and
(4) How accurately are cultures represented in psychiatric/mental health nursing
textbooks? A qualitative research design was employed for the study. Data were
collected from fourteen selected textbooks using four tools developed by the
researcher.
The findings of this study indicate that cultural content is being addressed in
the psychiatric/mental health nursing textbooks. This content is primarily segregated
into separate chapters. The majority of the textbooks focus on the four largest
minority groups: African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American.
The frequency count of student learning activities indicated that African-Americans were the most often represented cultural groups appearing seventeen times
in student learning activities. Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans were
represented almost equally, appearing twelve and eleven times respectively. Native-Americans were represented only one time in student learning activities in the
textbooks. Occasionally a member of another cultural group would be represented.
Some variations in symptoms of illness were included in eleven of the
fourteen psychiatric/mental health nursing textbooks examined. These variations
primarily involved the four largest minority groups. Culture-bound syndromes for
these four groups also were identified. The three contexts of health restoration, health
maintenance, and health promotion were examined but information related to these
areas was not mutually exclusive. Nursing activities identified could be applied to all
three areas.
This study also examined content in the psychiatric/mental health nursing
textbooks for obvious examples of stereotyping and bias. Little evidence of obvious
stereotyping and bias was found.
Further research is needed to develop valid and reliable tools for the
evaluation of multicultural content of all educational materials. Research needs to be
conducted to evaluate the multicultural content of nursing curricula. The effect of
experiential learning on knowledge and attitudes also need to be evaluated.
Nurse educators need to lead the way in research that will contribute to the
effectiveness of multicultural education. It is the responsibility of nurse educators to
develop and implement multicultural content that is accurate and effective in teaching
students to provide culturally congruent care. |