Evidence Based Nursing Practice: The Challenges of Health Care and Cultural Diversity

ABSTRACT

This paper examines that component of evidence based practice (EBP) focused on patient and family preferences and the challenges that those preferences present to nursing professionals. It more narrowly looks at an important and complex subcomponent to patient-centered care, that of working in a culturally diverse community. Although this aspect of nursing is a major consideration in Hawai’i, it is of importance to the broader nursing community as it addresses health care for indigenous populations and the expanding group of new immigrants. The Medical Library supports programs designed to help nurses better understand these diverse patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural awareness
• evidence based practice
• nursing education
• patient care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.