Insights into eastern health care: some transcultural nursing perspectives

This paper describes the author's formal introduction to Eastern holistic health care while attending a conference in India. The author discusses reasons for the Western interest in Eastern health care concepts and practices, and examines the ancient holistic system of Ayurveda medicine. Leininger's (1991) three modes of action from her theory of Culture Care are examined to suggest nursing care decisions and actions that could assist nurses to provide culturally congruent care to individuals who prefer Ayurveda to traditional Western health care practices. Similarities and differences between Western and Ayurvedic approaches to health care are discussed.