Practicum Discussion: Culturally aware nurses recognize that states  of health are revealed differently across cultures and ethnicities.  Culture and ethnic background will affect the way each individual  responds to health, illness, and death (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016).  These nurses are also aware of their own biases, which may affect the  care they provide to others (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). Because  most nurses work in institutions with individual patients, they are  accustomed to delivering culturally competent care on a one-on-one  basis. When a public health nurse deals with a population, he or she  must consider how the population culture affects the ways in which the  community nurse may interact. This can be with regard to the provision  of education or mass health care needs such as those required in a  foodborne illness, if mass vaccinations are needed for a communicable  disease outbreak, or if education is required to prevent heart disease.  In addition to understanding the nuances of the culture of a population,  community health nurses must understand the role genetics play in  health. Some disorders, such as glaucoma and diabetes, have a genetic  link, as do some cancers, such as breast and ovarian.

Please discuss the following questions in your Practicum Discussion:

• Provide a few examples of community resources that should be put  in place to assist your population in resolving their health care  needs. What gaps in service do you see that affect your population?
• Are there any cultural considerations that might inform your approach to caring for this population?
• Does your population have a genetic predisposition to the health care problem you have identified?
• Identify at least one evidence-based, culturally competent  behavior change that would promote health for your selected population  and for the specific health care problem you are addressing?