Abstract
The need for culturally competent health care worldwide is being driven by advancing technology and geographical movement, which is resulting in changing populations in many countries. The world seems to be becoming smaller because of the accelerated impact of advances in technology. People are able to communicate instantly from one continent to another. “Real-time” reports allow people to follow local news from any country as it is happening. Professionals have face-to-face conferences and group meetings using technology with participation of colleagues from around the world.
Because of these advances in communication technology, people are motivated to visit other countries, and are making decisions to live in other countries, according to the opportunities they offer. This migration pattern may also be related to people who are seeking safety because of the conditions in their native countries. During the last decade Panama has experienced the impact of communication technology, as well as becoming a tourist destination and a retirement paradise for many people from Europe and North America.
The Republic of Panama is a small country of approximately 4 million inhabitants, but with a great mixture of cultures. Panama has seven groups of native indigenous people and descendants from Africa and Spain. More recently, there have been a high number of immigrants seeking better life conditions from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Colombia. Some of these migration patterns are explained by the history of Panama. During the colonization by Spain, Africans were taken to Panama as slaves. Later, during the construction of the Panama Canal, many workers migrated from China and the Caribbean islands of Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, and others to find work in Panama. These events have contributed to the diversity of the current Panamanian population.
The need for culturally competent health care professionals is a priority that is increasing worldwide. In 2012, Dr. Madeleine Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality has been implemented as an initiative of the first Doctoral Nursing Program of the School of Nursing of the University of Panama. Its impact has been profound not only in nursing but also in other health professions. Health care providers are increasingly becoming aware of the impact that cultural competency has on health care and its relevance to deliver high-quality health care.