title: Using literature to create cultural competence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe how literature can be used to promote cultural competence. Cultural competence is essential for nurses who practice in diverse societies like the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cultural competence is viewed as a dynamic process of framing assumptions, knowledge, and meanings from a culture other than one's own. Selected excerpts from "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker are used to illustrate the method. Isler's readers' response theory serves as a guide for imaginative engagement and reflective discussion of the concept of health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Literature helps to dispel the false notion of a monolithic culture. Reflecting on reputable literature helps us hear the stories of those we hope to help and heal.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina School of Nursing, Greensboro 27412-5001, USA.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Bartol
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D018864:Cultural Diversity; D018939:Holistic Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D012945:Social Values; D016746:Transcultural Nursing; D014481:United States