Addressing the Challenge: Cultural Respect - Part 2

The Public Health Nursing Section of the American Public Health Association recognizes that social, economic, educational, health inequities and lack of opportunities continue to have a significant effect on the health of many people from economically and politically marginalized communities across the US. Moreover, poor people and people of color also tend to experience greater health risk in their environment because they live in unhealthy communities that often lack basic infrastructure services and experience deficiencies in health service delivery. The underserved and poor live in environments that are toxic to their physical, mental, and spiritual health and are cared for by health care providers that look less and less like the people they care for. Critical to addressing these inequities is that public health professionals are skilled in recognizing and addressing the factors that affect their success in working effectively with both colleagues and populations that differ from them ethnically and culturally. This session will focus on important challenges and opportunities to improve health disparities in our nation by examining and reflecting on the historical context of racism in the US, internalized racism, and attitudes of privilege projected by public health providers and institutions caring for poor and vulnerable populations across our nation. We will begin a dialogue to address these issues using a variety of interactive exercises designed to increase awareness of our individual attitudes about difference, examination of how we present ourselves to others, and development of strategies for more respectful and effective communication and interaction.