Abstract
The United States is increasingly becoming a multicultural pluralistic society. This is especially true in Florida where the present manuscript was written. Nurse practitioners must respond to growing diversity with competency and theory-based practice strategies. This paper describes application of theoretical models of caring to a diverse population in Florida with emphasis on the Giger and Davidhizar model of transcultural nursing.
THE UNITED STATES is rapidly becoming a multicultural pluralistic society. This is particularly true of the recent decade, as increasing numbers of ethnic minorities have joined the U.S. population. The growth in the multicultural population has created new challenges for healthcare providers and educational institutions. Many healthcare providers lack cultural competency and are unaware of how to meet the needs of the culturally diverse patient.1 All healthcare providers, and particularly nurses and nurse practitioners (NPs) who are on the front lines of patient care, must be skilled in providing culturally appropriate and competent care. A foundation in caring is basic to a culturally competent approach. It is especially necessary in Florida where cultural diversity is increasing more rapidly than on most fronts in the United States.