Leininger, Madeleine [1925–2012] , a nursing theorist, author, educator, researcher, and consultant who formulated the foundation of transcultural nursing and the resultant nursing research, education, and practice in this subfield of nursing. The most complete account of transcultural care theory is found in her book titled Care: The Essence of Nursing and Health (1984). Some of the major concepts are care, caring, culture, cultural values, and cultural variations. A basic tenet of Leininger’s theory is that human beings are inseparable from their cultural background and social structure. She advocates caring as the central theme in nursing care, nursing knowledge, and practice. Caring includes assistive, supportive, or facilitative acts toward an individual or group with evident or anticipated needs. Caring serves to ameliorate or improve human conditions and life ways (life process). Her methodology is borrowed from anthropology, but the concept of caring is an essential characteristic of nursing practice.
