Leininger’s Sunrise Model
Sanya, a 20-year-old woman from India who is attending a university in the United States, is seen by a nurse in a clinic for the first time when she is 16 weeks’ pregnant. This is an unplanned pregnancy, and Sanya tells the nurse that she wants an abortion. Sanya feels that, although abortion is discouraged by Indian culture unless it is necessary to save the mother’s life, she should terminate the pregnancy. Her boyfriend, the baby’s father, is a Caucasian American, but her parents have already arranged for her to marry an Indian man in India. Sanya would prefer to marry her American boyfriend.
a. Using Leininger’s Sunrise Model, discuss the complexities of the cultural traditions and the woman’s situation
b. How can the nurse offer support to the woman?
b) Mrs. Trudy Jackson is a 75-year-old African American woman who has had hypertension for the past 15 years. She states that she doesn’t always take her pills because they cost $250 a month; if she feels ok, she doesn’t take them.
a. How do African American rates of hypertension and corresponding morbidity and mortality compare to other groups?
b. What is the nurse’s responsibility regarding educating Mrs. Jackson about her hypertension?
c. What potential barriers may affect Mrs. Jackson’s health behavior?
Sample Solution
Nurses should have sufficient information about different cultural backgrounds and customs to be able to conduct holistic patient assessments. For optimal care, the completion of a thorough assessment is particularly important when a patient comes from a different culture. The provision of high-quality care builds patients` comfort and confidence in the healthcare system while promoting patient satisfaction. To this end, researchers have developed models to help nurses overcome challenges when caring for culturally diverse patients. Leininger uncovered a core concept of care during her early education. The Leininger Sunrise Model represents the structure of culture care theory by describing the relationship between anthropological and nursing beliefs and principles.
