Abstract:
One of the most relevant issues in health care today is the concept of culturally competent care. As the United States of America continues to grow and its population diversifies, health care providers are faced with the unique responsibility of understanding and acting within a plethora of different cultures, religions, and world views. While such a task seems daunting and overwhelming, the health care provider must learn that no single person is a clone of his or her upbringing, culture or env8ironment. No person can be stereotyped into one group. This leads one to realize, however, that American health care providers have been practicing culturally competent care since the country began, for not even American natives can be grouped into one category. This puts the health care professionals in an interesting position. While it is not fair to assume a person’s world view and lifestyle based on their country of origin, ethnicity, or social class, it is helpful to learn about the client’s culture in order to direct a better assessment of the his personal beliefs and lifestyle.
The fastest growing minority population in the United States of America today is the Hispanic population. Representing 21 different countries and many different world views, this population presents a unique opportunity for health care providers to learn and grow within their practice. The purpose of this thesis research is to identify certain cultural expectations of the Hispanic population and address the health disparities that re evident through statistical analysis.
