Exploring understandings and/or knowledge of maternity nurses in caring for immigrant/refugee women of African origin

• Main Author: Bell, Annalita Shireen
• Other Authors: Higginbottom, Gina (Nursing)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: immigrant/refugee women of African origin; maternity nurses; transcultural nursing; critical cultural perspective; cultural safety; ethnocultural care encounters; Canadian context
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10048/1092

Background: A variety of factors may interplay between nurses and maternity clients of diverse ethnic origins to disrupt effective ethnocultural care encounters. Study Aim/Research Questions: The aim of this study was to explore maternity nurses care experiences with African immigrant/refugee women. Methodology: Focused ethnography. Methods: Data collection through a purposive sample using semi-structured interviews. Location/Setting: Maternity units of three acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada. Participant Number & Characteristics: Twelve maternity nurses of RN or LPN designation. Approach to Analysis: A cyclical, iterative process of data collection & analysis with Atlas.ti6. Findings: Maternity nurses use multiple ways of gaining knowledge and information to negotiate ethnocultural care encounters. Awareness of larger social structures that impede deeper critical reflection and assessment is needed. Implications: This research study has the potential to affect positive learning outcomes amongst nurses such as improved therapeutic communication, care decision making and subsequent nurse-client relationships in ethno-cultural encounters.