Cultural diversity: A challenge for community nurses

Abstract

Cultural diversity is a challenge for community nurses and can present many difficulties in the provision of quality nursing care and in achieving optimal health outcomes. In this paper seven enabling principles are identified and their application to diverse groups discussed. These include: willingness to recognize expert family skills and knowledge, acknowledging own and other nurses’ strengths and weakness, taking time to establish rapport and acceptance, assessing influences on health and health care, providing care that is culturally appropriate, developing cultural competent practice and advocating for CLD appropriate resources and expertise. The aim of this paper is to assist community nurses to provide nursing care congruent with the many lifeway practices encountered in the community.

Diverse cultural groups with distinguishing dominant characteristics of ethnic orientation, aboriginality, and disability are selected as examples to demonstrate the application of the principles.

Key Words:

• cultural and linguistic diversity
• community nursing
• transcultural nursing
• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)
• culturally and linguistically diverse clients (CLD)