Nursing Care to the Foreign Person: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Abstract

According to Italian Statistic Institute, on January 2010 the quote of foreigner people living the country was of about 4.5% of total population, with great differences among regions: 35% in the Nord-West, 26.3% in Nord-East, 25.2%, in the Centre and 13.5% in the main Islands. In 2010 new entries rose total number to 7.5% to whom it should be added the 400 thousand people resident but not yet registered (STP in italian schedule). The mentioned quotation is specular to what is happening within National Health Care Services and in Dialysis setting as well. Within Turin S. Giovanni Bosco Dialysis hospital unit foreigner patients represent the 22.2% of total renal patients (7.2% in hemodialysis, 4.2% in post transplant out patient and 10.8% in pre-dialysis). Low knowledge of Italian language is the greater barrier to good communication between health care staff and patients who consequently suffer of low adherence to nutrition and medication prescriptions. In these last year we tried to get in contact with our patients' relatives and care givers respecting their lifestyles and values. Our final objective has been to find out solutions to daily life problems, but also the provisions of information leaflets translations, planning of multicultural supporting groups for renal transplant educators. We believe we reached most of our goals, making possible personalized treatment pathways for the great majority our foreigner patients. (nursing)