End-of-Life Care in the Hispanic Community

The Hispanic population is the largest minority in the United States and is expected to continue growing. In order to provide culturally congruent care, perspectives of health, illness, and death must be viewed through the patient's cultural lens. Hispanic patients with life-limiting diseases are particularly vulnerable because of access barriers to adequate care and might have had past experiences with discrimination, felt misunderstood, or felt disrespected by medical staff. Nurses play an indispensable role in advanced care planning of Hispanic patients. Nurses are well positioned to provide the relevant information and initiate the appropriate discussion about end-of-life planning. The authors utilize the Campinha-Bacote model framework to address the cultural background and uniqueness, societal values, and factors facilitating end-of-life-care decision-making process in the Hispanic community. Recommendations are provided to overcome the challenges in implementing culturally competent care.