The Importance Of Diversity In Nursing

Introduction A job in health care requires nurses to have a broad knowledge base. Not only on health care in general, but diversity as well. We live in a world that is very diverse, where no two people are the same. As a nurse, it is important to understand what diversity, assumptions and ethnocentrism all mean. By having a good understanding of these three things, a nurse will be better able to provide culturally competent care to his or her patients, which is a huge part of nursing.

Diversity Defined

Diversity is a broad term, and is difficult to define. According to The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (2011), diversity is a range of differences, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation/identity, religion,

Assuming without having all the facts, can lead to false conclusions. When assuming something, you are less likely to get all the facts needed, in order to provide the best possible quality care. When the best care is not provided, health can be compromised, possibly leading to serious consequences for both the patient and the

This may happen due to the nurse thinking it is the patients fault, and therefore thinking they do not deserve the same quality of care as the next person. This is not fair to the patient, as one never knows what the underlying cause is, that has led to the situation. It is really important to form a good patient nurse relationship, and to get all the facts, in order to assure this does not happen. Assuming a patient understands what has been explained to them, is something that should not be done. Each and every patient out there learns differently. It is important to make sure you take the time to see if your patient understood, and if not, you may need to rethink your strategy and try again. Assuming your patient understood, when in fact they did not, can lead to non-compliance with after care, and once again can cause serious and harmful effects.

Ethnocentrism Defined Ethnocentrism is when one culture judge’s another culture by the standard of their own (Health, 2001). Stereotypes, biases, and prejudices against other people are all in a sense a form of ethnocentrism (Astle, Barton, Johnson, & Mill, 2014). It is okay to be proud of your own culture, but you need to remember to do so in such a way, that you are not putting down any other culture (Arnold, 2016).

Ethnocentric