Coming to the cultural "in-between": nursing insights from a Hmong birth case study.

This article discusses the historical background and traditional beliefs of the Hmong. Cultural conflict occurs when traditional Hmong beliefs and Western health care ideologies are misunderstood. A specific case study focuses on care of a Hmong woman and her husband after a precipitous birth, hemorrhage, and surgical intervention. Nursing insights are identified from "in-between" the cultures. Establishing cultural awareness is an essential first step toward cultural competence.