The same demographic trends and cultural changes that have caused government agencies and private sector businesses to train their associates to be culturally competent are affecting the nursing profession. The patient-centered orientation of nurses makes it essential that they also be culturally competent by accessing cultural knowledge and developing cultural skills. What follows are vignettes and personal experiences based on a study by the author in which nurses were observed providing home care to newly admitted, culturally diverse patients. Tools for cultural assessment are described and included, along with recommendations to enhance the cultural competence of home care nurses and home care agencies.
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