How can nursing contribute to health education of immigrants? Ping Zou, PhD student and assistant professor Monica Parry set out to address this issue in their article titled Strategies for health education in North American immigrant populations.
Cultural, linguistic, health literacy and socio-economic barriers all contribute to the decrease in immigrant health. The study, featured in the International Nursing Review, shows that cultural sensitivity, careful inquiry and comprehensive knowledge of immigrants’ social circumstances are essential to every health education programme. Nurses have the expertise to take on the role of health educators and knowledge brokers to facilitate immigrants’ transitional processes, collaborate with other health disciplines, and examine strategies to enhance the well-being and health status of immigrant populations.