Mitigation of transcultural clinical barriers in a health and wellness program: A transcultural caring approach for vulnerable migrant backstretch workers

Abstract

This paper explores the mitigation of transcultural clinical barriers in a clinical setting where migrant backstretch workers receive health and wellness services from university faculty, staff, and nursing students at a nurse-led clinic located behind the stable area of a local thoroughbred racetrack. Caring for this vulnerable population is critical as these underserved individuals encounter many obstacles in the access of quality health care as a result of their marginalized status. Placing a heightened emphasis on providing culturally congruent care within the clinical setting and adopting a framework of transcultural caring principles using Ray’s Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health-Care Model serve as a sound strategy to reduce cultural barriers and enhance the health of these workers who have inadequate or no healthcare coverage. This article examines the unique culture of migrant populations with a specific emphasis on migrant backstretch populations, and the health disparities that occur within this marginalized population. This article also addresses the importance of delivering clinical nursing services within the context of transcultural caring, applying the theoretical framework of Ray’s Transcultural Caring Dynamics in Nursing and Health-Care to a nurse-led health and wellness program for migrant backstretch workers. It suggests clinical implications for nursing using a transcultural framework to improve the health status of this invisible population.