This bibliographic research aimed to analyze the nursing care operational methodology in nursing dissertations prepared based on the Theory of Transcultural Nursing. We evaluated 26 theses defended in a Nursing Graduate Program in Brazil from 1990 to 2005. From a script guide content analysis was performed, involving similarities and differences between the data collected, using the theory itself as the basis for interpretation. The results showed that masters' students chose flexible and creative methodological proposals. The process of a cultural study evaluation and care implementation includes a large variety of tools and techniques. There are shortcomings with regard to the meaning of the term "culture". Moreover, many such studies are lacking regarding to the care stage step of making planned actions operational. We concluded that as much the positive points as the fragilities presented in the results of these studies contribute so that nurses may perform culturally congruent care in any care setting.
Transcultural nursing; Nursing theory; Nursing research; Methodology