To become more culturally competent, nurses need to increase their knowledge of the health practices of their immigrant clients. With the growing Latino immigrant community, it is imperative that nurses learn more about the cultures from which the immigrants come. This article examines the use of herbal remedies in treating common illnesses in a barrio in Managua, Nicaragua. Data were collected in a random sample of households in an impoverished community of more than 1,600 persons. The use of herbal remedies occurred in 78% of the households. Herbal remedies were used for a variety of symptoms. There was no difference in herbal remedy use based on age or education. The discussion focuses on the availability and functionality of these herbal remedies for this vulnerable population. Implications are addressed for incorporating this information into nursing practice with Central American immigrants, thereby increasing cultural competence.

A necessary prerequisite for reducing infant morbidity associated with passive smoking is effective measurement of this health risk factor. The purpose of this review was to evaluate questionnaires currently used in research to measure infant environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. Systematic searches were conducted using MEDLINE and CINAHL databases to identify current studies of infant ETS exposure. Sixty research reports published between 1996 and 2002 met the selection criteria. All of these investigations used brief investigator-developed, parental self-reports; no two studies used the same questionnaire. Reliability testing for questionnaires was lacking. Preliminary support for concurrent and construct validity is presented. Nursing studies are needed that lead to the development of ETS exposure questionnaires with established reliability and validity that measure both risk and protective mechanisms that occur in the infant environment.

International clinical experiences can provide excellent opportunities for nursing students to practice community health nursing, enhance their global perspective, and increase their cultural awareness of vulnerable populations. Selected students from the Georgetown University nursing program spent part of their winter intercession in Nicaragua, working with a vulnerable population in an impoverished community. Students cared for families, worked in clinics, conducted health teaching sessions to large groups in the community, and held a health fair. A community assessment provided an experience in learning about the resources and demographics of the community. The program was feasible through the collaboration with the local Nicaraguan university nursing program.

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In Latin America, women account for more than 30% of all HIV cases. However, minimal research has been reported on women's beliefs about HIV in Latin America. The purpose of our qualitative study was to describe HIV beliefs in a sample of low-income Nicaraguan women living in a squatter settlement in Managua. Participants (N = 34) were women who participated in four focus groups. The mean age of the women was 40 years, and the mean education level was 5 years. Women reported a plurality of beliefs about HIV, some of which were biomedically accurate while others were not. Themes of stigma and rejection emerged across all focus group discussions. Younger women were more informed than older women. The findings are instructive for nurses working with Nicaraguan women and may be useful in developing HIV education interventions with similar populations in other Latin American countries or with immigrants from those countries.