The aim of this study was to investigate the principles and factors underlying the culturally competent nursing care of asylum applicants. Asylum applicants are a highly vulnerable group, whose health is often severely compromised prior to arrival in the UK due to exposure to torture, violence and rape. Although they are entitled to primary health care services whilst their asylum claim is under consideration, their level of welfare support has been significantly eroded over the last decade. An analysis of the nursing literature revealed mainly US notions of cultural competence, which were based on a private health care insurance system rather than a universal health care system of equitable, accessible and non-discriminatory service provision, such as the NHS. A Five Steps Model of cultural competence (Quickfall 2004) was later revised to provide a theoretical framework for this research study. Data for this ethnographic study were collected during 2005-2007 with asylum applicants and community nurses within one Health Board in Scotland, using participant observation, individual, narrative and group interview methods. The data were analysed for their categorical content. The findings are presented as vignettes to highlight cultural competence issues. Three major themes emerge from the study findings, which highlight the intermediary function of community nursing. The provision of equitable, accessible and non-discriminatory services remains pertinent in the 21st century. Secondly, the cross-cultural promotion of health involves a partnership process to ensure effective communication and the negotiation of person centred care. Thirdly, the delivery of socially inclusive services requires the aiding of asylum applicant adaptation to a new host environment. This study contributes to community nursing knowledge in explaining, through synthesis of the literature and study data, a model of cultural competence for the care of asylum applicants. It also provides a set of best practice statements, which require further investigation.

Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever e analisar, as ações realizadas pelos agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) do município de Marília (SP), em relação a sua potencialidade na efetivação da Promoção da Saúde, na perspectiva do fortalecimento da comunidade. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa, em que os sujeitos foram os 298 Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS) que atuam na Atenção Básica do município de Marilia-SP. O instrumento de coleta de dados foi um questionário estruturado que abordava características sócio-demograficas dos sujeitos, além de ser um inventario das ações relativas as cinco competências propostas pelo Ministério da Saúde para o Agente Comunitário.Os dados foram organizados com o auxilio do software SPSS (versão 17) e analisados com base na frequencia simples de ocorrência das ações. O quadro teórico que suporta as discussões dos resultados baseou-se no modelo de organização comunitária e construção de capacidade para avaliar a Promoção da Saúde, proposto por Nutbeam (2004). Os resultados apontam que os ACS apresentam uma prática voltada para ações de prevenção à doenças. Na competência Promoção da Saúde, se observou um equilíbrio entre as freqüências diariamente e raramente, o que mostra não haver uma padronização das ações relacionadas à promoção da saúde, as quais de certa forma, pouco contribuem para o fortalecimento das comunidades. Como conclusão, sugere-se que as ações do ACS tomem por base a realidade de cada território e a partir daí se identifiquem as demandas, tanto da equipe quanto da comunidade, a fim de se partilhar saberes científicos e populares na busca do fortalecimento da comunidade para o enfrentamento do processo saúde-doença. / This study aims to describe and analyze the actions carried out by community health work (CHW) in Marília (SP), about his potential in the realization of health promotion, in a view of to strengthening the community. This was a quantitative research, realized with 298 subjects, who work in primary health care in the Marilias city. The instrument of data collection was a structured questionnaire which addressed socio-demographic characteristics of subjects, in addition includes an inventory of the five competences proposed by the Ministry of Health to the community health. The datas were organized with the SPSS software (version 17) and analyzed by simple frequency of occurrence the actions. The theoretical framework that supports the discussion of the results was based on the model of community organization and capacity building to assess the Promotion Health, proposed by Nutbeam (2004). The results show that the CHW have a practice focused on actions to prevent the disease. In the Health Promotion competence has been a balance between daily and rarely frequencies, that shows there is not standardization of the health promotion actions, wich a little bit contribute to the communities empowerment. In conclusion, the suggestion is the actions of the CHW take based on the reality of each area and identify the demands of both, the team and the community, in order to share scientific and popular knowledge in the search for community empowerment and confronting to the health-disease process.

Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever e analisar, as ações realizadas pelos agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) do município de Marília (SP), em relação a sua potencialidade na efetivação da Promoção da Saúde, na perspectiva do fortalecimento da comunidade. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa, em que os sujeitos foram os 298 Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS) que atuam na Atenção Básica do município de Marilia-SP. O instrumento de coleta de dados foi um questionário estruturado que abordava características sócio-demograficas dos sujeitos, além de ser um inventario das ações relativas as cinco competências propostas pelo Ministério da Saúde para o Agente Comunitário.Os dados foram organizados com o auxilio do software SPSS (versão 17) e analisados com base na frequencia simples de ocorrência das ações. O quadro teórico que suporta as discussões dos resultados baseou-se no modelo de organização comunitária e construção de capacidade para avaliar a Promoção da Saúde, proposto por Nutbeam (2004). Os resultados apontam que os ACS apresentam uma prática voltada para ações de prevenção à doenças. Na competência Promoção da Saúde, se observou um equilíbrio entre as freqüências diariamente e raramente, o que mostra não haver uma padronização das ações relacionadas à promoção da saúde, as quais de certa forma, pouco contribuem para o fortalecimento das comunidades. Como conclusão, sugere-se que as ações do ACS tomem por base a realidade de cada território e a partir daí se identifiquem as demandas, tanto da equipe quanto da comunidade, a fim de se partilhar saberes científicos e populares na busca do fortalecimento da comunidade para o enfrentamento do processo saúde-doença. / This study aims to describe and analyze the actions carried out by community health work (CHW) in Marília (SP), about his potential in the realization of health promotion, in a view of to strengthening the community. This was a quantitative research, realized with 298 subjects, who work in primary health care in the Marilias city. The instrument of data collection was a structured questionnaire which addressed socio-demographic characteristics of subjects, in addition includes an inventory of the five competences proposed by the Ministry of Health to the community health. The datas were organized with the SPSS software (version 17) and analyzed by simple frequency of occurrence the actions. The theoretical framework that supports the discussion of the results was based on the model of community organization and capacity building to assess the Promotion Health, proposed by Nutbeam (2004). The results show that the CHW have a practice focused on actions to prevent the disease. In the Health Promotion competence has been a balance between daily and rarely frequencies, that shows there is not standardization of the health promotion actions, wich a little bit contribute to the communities empowerment. In conclusion, the suggestion is the actions of the CHW take based on the reality of each area and identify the demands of both, the team and the community, in order to share scientific and popular knowledge in the search for community empowerment and confronting to the health-disease process.