Culturally competent care of patients with acute chest pain

PURPOSE: To inform nurse practitioners (NPs) about the influence of culture on patients' responses to pain using the example of acute chest pain. DATA SOURCES: Selected clinical and research articles on pain and culture and the authors' clinical experiences providing care across a variety of cultures. CONCLUSIONS: There is very little written and even fewer studies on the connection of culture and the response to acute chest pain. This topic needs more attention by nurse researchers. Implications for practice If NPs are not aware that some patients may not demonstrate behavior typically expected in acute myocardial infarction, they may miss the diagnosis and fail to treat or refer these patients for immediate treatment.