Running Head : cultural competence in nursing Culturally Competent Nursing in an Ever Changing Diverse World Name :Instructor :Course :Date :Introduction In nursing and healthcare the issue of culture is more pronounced than anywhere else . This is because many people various ethnic , religious ,racial and cultural backgrounds come forth to hospitals and healthcare centres in search of health solutions . Due to these cultural disparities , patients often fail to receive quality services because of practices that are lacking in cultural competence . Cultural competence in nursing and healthcare refers to the efficiency with which a healthcare provider is able to offer quality service in a cross-cultural setting thus enhancing the system ‘s or institution ‘s capacity to function in effective manners (Dolhun , E . P . et al 2003 .Culture influences an individual ‘s values , perceptions , beliefs and opinions . It influences how patients respond to healthcare givers and the medication prescribed to them . Therefore it is very important that nurses and other medical practitioners seek to improve their awareness towards the issues raised by cultural diversity in order to improve on service delivery . This paper examines ways in which a nurse can be more culturally competent . It also examines the opportunities in the work place and nursing school that requires culturally focused health practices . Additionally the paper discusses the issues of self-assessment and client assessment that is geared towards the delivery of culturally competent health solutions .Importance of Culture to Nursing .The US is comprised of the most culturally diverse population . A big percentage of the world ‘s ethnic , religious and cultural groups are represented in this population . This has created a most unique opportunity as well as challenge to many organizations in the service delivery sector . This is because people from all cultures get ill at one point in time and they have to seek treatment . Nurses are thus presented with patients from very diverse cultural backgrounds . Culture influences how different people will respond to the different ways of health service delivery , interventions and treatment (Dolhun , E . P et al . 2003 . It is therefore important for nurses to move towards achieving cultural competence in order to effectively deal with the challenges that come with the cultural reality .Because of the demographic situation in America service providers are under pressure to provide more culturally correct services . The nursing profession cannot be left behind and therefore the need to comply with the changing needs is overwhelming . Language limitations are also another issue of concern in attaining cultural competence .Ethical Factor One ethical principle that guides nurses in their endeavour to provide culturally appropriate care is the appreciating that everyone regardless of their cultural persuasion is entitled to receive quality health care . Cultural differences can influence the caregiver ‘s prejudices and bias towards a patient (Galanti G .A . 1997 . In a similar way a patient can misconstrue the caregiver ‘s actions and words . This can serve to lower the quality of care given to this particular patient . Professional ethics require that there be no form of discrimination…