By 2050, for the first time in U.S. history, almost half of elders will be from ethnic minority groups. To meet the needs of this rapidly diversifying population, nurses need to be able to marry transcultural nursing knowledge with gerontological nursing knowledge. The purpose of this article is to propose a new theoretical model for explaining health outcomes and health responses for older individuals in unique ethno-cultural groups and to discuss implications and applications of the model to transcultural gerontological nursing practice and research. The discussion will include (1) an overview of currently available theoretical knowledge in the area, (2) a description of the theory development process, (3) presentation of the proposed ethno-cultural gerontological nursing theoretical model, and (4) discussion of how this model can enhance nursing’s contributions to reducing health disparities. This model is presented not as a finished product but as a basis for future discussion and refinement.
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