Watch for the unveiling of a new ANA diversity awareness resource center. ANA officials emphasize that the resource center is being developed to assist nurses to better serve the growing cultural complexity of the U.S. population. The ANA center will include an extensive database of information related to ethnicities, cultures, sexes, and provide other information to assist nurses in working with the increasingly diverse U.S. patient population.

The ANA president, Rebecca M. Patton, notes that "[horizontal ellipsis] our most vulnerable neighbors are simultaneously the hardest hit by bias while being the least able to cope with the associated risks and consequences." Patton continues to emphasize that cultural competency sits at "the nexus of healthcare and social justice" in today's healthcare environment. Development of the diversity awareness resource database is being funded by a grant from Pfizer pharmaceutical company. Emily Piccirillo, grant development manager for ANA, notes that the initial activity of the center will be to administer and analyze an online survey of to determine the current status of cultural competency among nurses. Following analysis of the survey, the resource database should be made available in the next few months. The overall purpose of the resource center is to provide nurses with a better "Glimpse of cultural issues that affect patients," reports ANA.

We and our students deal daily with diversity issues in the healthcare setting. As we continue to emphasize cultural competency in our nursing curricula, this new resource will certainly provided needed diversity information in a timely manner for students, faculty and practicing nurses.

Source: Cantlupe J. Nursing initiative looks to better understand patients' cultures. HealthLeaders Media. March 4, 2010. Available athttp://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/NRS-247516/Nursing-Initiative-Looks-to. Accessed on March 11, 2010.

Submitted by: Robin Pattillo, PhD, RN, News Editor at[email protected].