Welcome

Our nation and the state of Texas are culturally diverse. According to the 2000 Census, 35% of the United States population was comprised of non-white and Hispanic racial and ethnic groups (US Census Bureau, 2000). Three years later, the picture in Texas was even more striking. Nearly, 10 million of the 21 million Texas residents (46 percent) were members of non-white racial or ethnic groups (Health Disparities Task Force, 2003).

There is no doubt that nurses will care for clients from diverse backgrounds throughout their professional careers and will need to provide culturally competent care. This module introduces undergraduate nursing students to the concept of cultural competence based on five components proposed by Caminha-Bacote (2002): cultural
awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, cultural encounters, and cultural desire.

The objectives of this module are to:

1. Discuss the influence of culture on health and illness.
2. Describe the benefits of culturally based care.
3. Develop cultural self-awareness.
4. Select culturally competent nursing interventions.

To track your progress through the module, you may want to use this checklist. If you need documentation that you completed this module, you must submit the registration form below, then click on the "Start Here" arrow. Enjoy the module!