Cultural caring in nursing practice: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.

The number of qualitative studies regarding the experience of nurses caring for patients from cultures other than their own has increased, yet there remains a limited understanding of the meanings derived from this work. Using the methodology of Noblit and Hare's metaethnographic comparative method, the main themes and concepts from 13 qualitative studies are reduced to six overall themes that describe over 1000 nurses' experience caring for patients from other cultures. The themes include: (a) connecting with the client, (b) cultural discovery, (c) the patient in context, (d) in their world, not mine, (e) road blocks, and (f) the cultural lens.