The United States has been, and is, a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. As nurses, we must be able to provide competent care by incorporating our patients' cultural beliefs and practices into their plan of care. The Hispanic population is the largest and fastest growing culture in our country today. Across the United States, cities, towns and rural areas not known for their Hispanic populations have seen sharp increases over the past decade. Since the 2010 census, the Latino population has increased over the past 10 years from 35.3 million in 2005 to 50.5 million in 2010. As the U.S. population continues to age, so does the Hispanic population; in 2000, older Hispanics numbered fewer than 1.8 million and are expected to increase to more than 8.6 million by 2030. Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare impact healthcare at all levels. Ethnic disparities can be explained by differences in language proficiency, but racial disparities in health care are highlighted by delays in care due to health care providers' lack of cultural and ethnic knowledge, lack of insurance, and lack of transportation. According to Healthy People 2020, the goal of recognizing and addressing health disparities has not been adequately achieved. Studies show that many Hispanics do not have insurance and are forced to visit emergency departments to receive health care. The absence of health insurance can place a strain on low-income families who seek care without this resource. The shortage of well-trained bilingual-bicultural clinical researchers and the use of competent assessment tools have had a negative influence on diagnosis, management, and service use patterns. of the Hispanic population. Barriers to health care... half of paper... References Dettlaff, A., & Rycraft, J. (2009, November-December). Culturally competent systems of care with Latino children and families. Child Welfare, 88(6), 109-127. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from the Nursing and Allied Health Collection via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRCHicks, D. (2012, September-October). Cultural competence and the Hispanic population. MedSurgNursing,21(5), 314-316. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from Nursing and Allied HealthCollection via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRCStrunk, J., Townsend-Rocchicioli, J., & Sanford, J. ( 2013 , January-February). Aging Hispanic America: Challenges for nurses in a stressed healthcare environment. MedSurgNursing, 22(1), 45-51. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from Nursing and Allied HealthCollection via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRC