When the Golden Rule does not apply. Starting nurses on the journey toward cultural competence

The population of the United States is increasing in cultural diversity. As a result, most nurses will have many opportunities to work with patients from different cultures. This article discusses the importance of cultural competence for nurses. Several educational activities for improving cultural awareness and competence are suggested. In particular, a poster session with post-test format is described in detail. The article also includes basic definitions related to the topic of culture, a brief discussion about the influence of culture on advance directives and abuse/neglect, and a list of additional resources.