Library Research Guides for Nursing Students:
Culture Paper (NUR 150)
The MEC Library has many resources to help you write your culture paper, including print books, e-books, databases, and websites.
1) First Step: Prepare
Thoroughly read the assignment in your syllabus to be sure you understand what's expected, and read any assiged book chapters or articles. Remember: most students will need to consult several sources to find all the information required for each culture- don't get discouraged if you don't find everything in one source!
2) Locate Books & E-books
Most of the print books on nursing/health and different cultures are located in two sections of the library: RA 418.5 T73 and RT 86.54. There is also the multi-volume CultureGrams series in GT 150 C852x, which provides cultural information on countries all over the world, including topics like language, general attitudes, religion, diet, family, personal appearance, and health.
Doing a search in the library catalog is the best way to quickly see what's available, and will find both print books and e-books. While there are many ways to search for information on this topic, here is one of the best:
- Under Choose Search Type, select Subject (LC) begins with...
- In the search box, type TRANSCULTURAL NURSING (transcultural medical care is another one you can try)
- You can also try keyword searches (Select Keywords Anywhere from the drop-down menu) like these: culture AND medicine; culture AND nursing
- If you find an e-book you want to use, simply click on the link. If you're off campus, you'll be prompted to log in with your myNOVA username and password. The full content will be available for you to read online.
3) Search the Databases
Below are suggested databases for locating information on different cultures. To use from off campus, log in with your myNOVA username and password.
-
AtoZ World Culture
Select your country from the list on the main screen, or use the search box. -
Daily Life Through History
Go to the Advanced Search screen and type your country into the search box. Under Eras, place a checkmark next to Life in the Modern World, 1900 - Present. Select the relevant subjects.
3) Find Web Sites
Here are a few web sites that may be helpful for this assignment:
- World Health Organization
For countries that are members of the World Health Organization, this site provides a country health profile, information on outbreaks and crises, mortality and burden of disease, health systems, nutrition, risk factors, and health service coverage, among other things. - Culture Clues
From the University of Washington Medical Center. - EthnoMed
Select Cultures at the top of the screen.
Created by Beth DeAngelo. Last updated September 12, 2011.