[DID YOU KNOW? Definitions for immigrant differ, and immigrants may be legal or illegal. They come from all parts of the world and bring with them unique cultural, health care, and religious backgrounds.
• Access to health care may be limited because of immigrants' lack of benefits, resources, language ability, and transportation.
• Insured immigrants use less health care senices than their U.S.born counterparts.
• Nurses need to be astute in considering the cultural backgrounds of their immigrant clients and populations. Often, the family and community must be relied on to provide information, support, and other aid.
• Nurses need to know the major health problems and risk factors that are specific to immigrant populations, particularly the populations with whom they most often come in contact.