In Episode 15 of ETNAtalks, host Juan Leyva speaks with Dr Nilgün Kuru Alıcı about the role of culture, communication and trust in everyday nursing care.
Drawing on her work with refugee communities in Türkiye, Dr Kuru Alıcı explains how cultural values, gender roles and health beliefs can shape people’s experiences of healthcare. She discusses her research with Syrian and Afghan women, where building trust is essential when addressing sensitive topics such as reproductive health and cancer screening.
The conversation also explores the role of men in family planning. Dr Kuru Alıcı highlights that men can strongly influence decisions within families and argues that they should be actively included in culturally sensitive health education and communication.
The episode then turns to her work with laughter yoga and other laughter-based interventions, including a pilot study with survivors of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake. While these approaches cannot replace psychological care, she explains how they may offer simple, low-cost ways to reduce stress and support wellbeing.
A central message of the episode is that access to healthcare alone is not enough. To provide effective care, nurses must understand the cultural and social context in which people live and adapt their communication accordingly.
As Dr Kuru Alıcı explains, transcultural nursing is not something separate from routine practice — it is part of everyday care.
ETNAtalks Episode 15, “Transcultural Nursing is part of everyday care”, featuring Dr Nilgün Kuru Alıcı, is available now.
