Professional Presence and Influence Assessment
Honore Colligan
Western Governor's University

Professional Presence and Influence Assessment
Of all the countries on the planet, nowhere is the vast array of world cultures more diverse than in the United States. For most people, their ancestors came to this country in search of opportunity and a better life for their families. Fueled by motivators such as famine and dictatorship, emigrating to America meant saying goodbye to the only life they had ever known. Adjusting to a new setting and the changes that come with it is hard, especially when the new setting is a melting pot of unfamiliar customs. However, a change in location, regardless of the distance traveled, generally does not transform someone into a new person. Each of us is born and raised within a culture most likely reflecting the beliefs of our parents and other family members. As our first teachers, our parents are responsible for influencing the way in which we see the world and our place within it (Curtis, Gaylord, & Norton, 2004). As the only way of life ever known, these cultural beliefs often determine the way we view factors such as religion, nutrition, and even healthcare (Curtis et al., 2004). As healthcare professionals, nurses today are faced with the responsibility of providing not only the safest and highest quality care possible, but also ensuring the care provided is culturally acceptable and in sync with an individual's health beliefs (Curtis et al., 2004).
The expectation that nurses today understand every culture and concept of health and healing associated within each cultural group is unrealistic. Fortunately, nurses still have the ability to deliver patient-focused care to all of their patients, simply by increasing their awareness of their own personal beliefs. As Aysha Mendes states in the article, The role of nurses' and