[Steadfast and dependable: trans-cultural community healthcare in Taiwan]

Taiwan's multicultural population requires that nursing educators address and effectively manage trans-cultural healthcare issues. A longstanding lack of self-reflection on cultural issues has caused a gap between community nursing and the health needs of Taiwan's indigenous people. Taiwan's newer immigrant populations from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and elsewhere have added further cultural complexity to Taiwan's community healthcare landscape. In this paper, the authors apply their practical experience in community nursing to derive the special healthcare needs of indigenous and new immigrant populations based on the unique cultural attributes and health concepts of these populations. We hope to help nursing staff develop cultural self-awareness and sensitivity by admiring, respecting, and learning from their own culture while empathizing with and appreciating the cultures of their healthcare clients. By doing so, healthcare providers can further examine the cultural characteristics of the professional nursing system and conduct trans-cultural evaluations.