Nurses' perceptions of the organizational supports needed for the delivery of culturally competent care.

The purpose of this study was to determine nurses' views on the organizational supports needed for the delivery of culturally competent care. The research design was qualitative, with a case study approach. Data collection included face-to-face interviews with 23 registered nurses, document analysis, and reports of critical incidents. The findings of this study revealed that caring for culturally diverse clients was challenging and frustrating for most participants. Major themes emerging from the data included language barriers, lack of training, difficulty with cultural differences, lack of organizational support, and reliance on culturally diverse staff members. Few organizational supports existed for delivering culturally competent care. Expectations were not explicit, and culturally competent care was not rewarded or supported. Recommendations for organizations, nursing practice, theory, and future research are made.