Nursing Professors Jeanmarie Koonts and Cyra Kussman presented their work on growing the next generation of culturally competent nursing students through transcultural experiences and experiential learning.
In late October, Nursing faculty Jeanmarie Koonts and Cyra Kussman represented Elon University at the 51st Annual International Transcultural Nursing Conference held in Portland, Maine.
Their podium presentation, titled “Havana to Home: A Reflection on Global Learning and Cultural Immersion,” highlighted their transformative experience leading 24 nursing students to Cuba during the January Term of 2025 (J-Term). The presentation explored how immersion in Cuba’s healthcare system expanded students’ understanding of community health, cultural competence and global nursing practice.
Professors Koonts and Kussman shared insights into how transcultural experiences deepen empathy, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication, key components of providing holistic, patient-centered care.
Transcultural nursing is a field of study and practice focused on providing culturally competent, congruent, and sensitive healthcare to diverse populations. It involves understanding and respecting patients’ cultural differences, beliefs, and values to create care plans that are meaningful and beneficial to them. Key goals include improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities by ensuring care is tailored to individual cultural contexts, such as incorporating traditional healing practices or dietary needs.
The Transcultural Nursing Society and the conference were inspired by the pioneering work of Madeleine Leininger, the founder of transcultural nursing. Among the most memorable moments was meeting nurse colleagues from across the country and the world, including Larry Purnell. Purnell, a renowned transcultural theorist, is known for developing the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence. Purnell’s model visually represents the complexity of cultural understanding through twelve interconnected domains surrounding a central core. At the heart of the model lies a “black hole,” a powerful symbol representing the unknown aspects of culture that healthcare providers must continuously seek to understand with humility and curiosity.