Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health Care

I read Marilyn Ray’s first edition of Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health Care, published in 2010, several years ago. I found that book inspirational, almost mystical, renewing my commitment to nursing, and its mission of caring and compassion to all those in need of nursing services. Upon discovering that Dr. Ray had published a second edition of the book, I was anxious to be re-inspired, and I was not disappointed. In the first six chapters, Dr. Ray explains her creative and innovative theoretical model of Transcultural Caring Dynamics. It is grounded in her expansive knowledge of nursing, anthropology, philosophy, theology, science and the arts. She uses complexity science, a new paradigm for thinking about and understanding our dynamic world of systems that influence one another, to illuminate how nurses can promote health and healing for all the diverse patients they encounter. Nurses interested in the soul and spirit of nursing, who wish to explore the depth and breadth of its caring and spiritual dimensions, will not only want to read the first six chapters, but to mediate upon them. The second half of the book, consisting of 27 chapters, many of which are contributed by other nurses, explore nursing-patient interactions across multiple cultures – ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, geographic, and other cultural dimensions. Each of these chapters explore ways in which the model and the tools Ray has developed help nurses truly understand and be helpful to people of diverse origins. They help nurses look deeply into nursing’s place in a world of diverse cultures and complex systems, where nurses are called to apply caring, ethical and sacred principles to help those for whom they care achieve health, healing and wholeness. Nurse educators and nursing students will find this book a good way to teach and learn about nursing excellence in today’s multicultural practice settings. The book is pedagogically sound and filled with elements and exercises for learning and tools for practice. But I also recommend this book to any nurse who wants to be inspired and transformed. With a patient and careful reading, you will see the world and nursing’s place in it in a new way. You will be able to care about patients more deeply and be able to more effectively facilitate their healing.

Bought it for my Transcultural Health Care class with GCU (HLT-324) but fell in love with the book. The readings are informal and the stories leave you wanting to know more about the people. Keeping it though my class has ended.