TOWARDS AN INDIVIDUALIZED CLIENTS CARE - IMPLICATION FOR EDUCATION - THE TRANSCULTURAL APPROACH

The nursing profession is faced with the challenging role of providing individualized client care wit:hin the context of the whole person. Individualized care cannot be achieved without considering the factors associated with the personal being, such as culture, beliefs and tradition. As nurses interact with clients from various cultural backgrounds, the need to consider and be aware of their own values is essential to enable them to provide unbiased care. Nurse education plays a major role in developing individuals who are able to examine their own views with regards to cultural biases. The importance of acknowledging other cultures as opposed to the nurses' own is essential in order to ensure that the knowledge learnt will enhance the qualities of caring, competence and professionalism. This is necessary because cultural context is viewed according to how it is perceived by the clients and the nurses themselves.