Caring as experienced by minority ethnic patients

International nursing literature associates 'nursing' as inextricably linked with 'caring'. However, as Leininger (1995) suggests, although caring is a universal phenomenon, its manifestation is very much dependent on culture. For caring to be effectively received, the conceptualization of caring at both individual and community level needs to be realized in practice. This paper focuses on a qualitative research study on a sample of 20 male and 18 female respondents from Pakistani communities in Bradford, West Yorkshire. UK, using face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews. The significance of ethno-linguistics, or the relationship between language and culture, has been addressed by a number of anthropologists. People associate what is meaningful to them as defined by their culture. By eliciting various linguistic terms used for 'care' terms and applied to health and 'well-being', the cultural meanings within an 'emic' perspective, as well as variability of the use of the care terms in different contexts, could be discovered. Hence the first stage of this study focused on the respondents' understanding and perceptions of caring. Care themes and patterns emerged to form seven themes. The same sample was later facilitated in exploring their recent experiences of 'care' as delivered by nurses in hospital. The findings suggest that a lack of congruence between patients' expectations and experiences of caring received from nurses did exist. The paper concludes by suggesting possible strategies to address the identified deficits, for example a cultural knowledge base and enhancing assessment skills in nurses.