According to the Society for Human Resource Management diversity is: “A broad definition of diversity ranges from personality and work style to all of the visible dimensions of diversity such as race, age, ethnicity or gender, to secondary influences such as religion, socioeconomics and education, to work diversities such as management and union, functional level and classification or proximity/distance to headquarters.” Diversity is a huge factor that we are striving for in many occupations around the world, but healthcare is one of the main professions that is becoming more diverse. Not only does it have many positive effects, it is providing the patients and workers with a sense of respect for each other. The patients are able to have a nurse or occupational therapists that understand where they are coming from. They might have the same morals or they might be in a similar situation as the patient, so they will be able to relate with the patient and understand them during difficult times. More companies are relating diversity into the workforce. Therefore they are able to have a more successful business because of the many changes they are making to meet the needs of each individual. Diversity in the field of healthcare is becoming more prominent in the United States. Healthcare is one of the fields of study that has one of the highest cultural diversity rates. It is so important that is a very diverse field, because there are so many kinds of people. Not only are there many people who have different needs, but they are of different age, race, gender, and they have different beliefs. Many people believe that it is crucial to have a lot of diversity to be able to interact with the patients. The interaction between the pati... ... middle of paper ... ... (2008). Why Cultural Competence Matters in Healthcare Organizations. In CEO Refresher.brain food for business. Lee, W. K., Wong, V., & Judd, N. (2010, May). Promoting Diversity of the Health Care Workforce. Hawaii Medical Journal, 69(5), 130-131. Marra, J., Covassin, T., Shingles, R. R., Canady, R. B., & Mackowiak, T. (2010). Assessment of Certified Athletic Trainers' Levels of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care. Journal of Athletic Training, 45(5), 380-385. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-45.4.380. Salisbury, J., & Byrd, S. (n.d.). Why Diversity Matters in Health Care. In CSA Bulletin. Spinks, N., & Moore, C. (2007). Nursing Leadership. The Changing Workforce, Workplace and Nature of Work: Implications for Health Human Resource Management, 20(3), 26-41. Workplace diversity: Leveraging the power of difference for competitive advantage. (2005). HRMagazine
Douglas, Rosenkoetter, Pacquiao, Callister, Hattar-Pollara, Lauderdale, Milstead, Nardi, & Purnell (2014) outline ten guidelines for implementing culturally competent care; knowledge of cultures, education and training in culturally competent care, critical reflection, cross-cultural communication, culturally competent practice, cultural competence in health care systems and organizations, patient advocacy and empowerment, multicultural workforce, cross-cultural leadership, and evidence-based practice and research. One specific suggestion I will incorporate is to engage in critical reflection. This is mentioned both by Douglas, et al. (2014) and Trentham, et al. (2007) as an important part of cultural competency. I will do this by looking at my own culture, beliefs, and values and examining how they affect my actions. I will use this information to better inform my day to day practice when working with patients with a different culture than my
Huber, D. (2010). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (4th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
Cultural competency is a very significant necessity in health care today and the lack of it in leadership and in the health workforce, is quite pressing. The lack of cultural competency can bring about dire consequences such as racial and ethnic disparities in health care. It may not be the sole reason for these disparities, but it certainly places a significant role. A patient and health care provider relationship is very significant and can make or break the quality of care that is given. The lack of cultural competency leads to poor communication which then leads to those of diverse backgrounds to feel either unheard or just plain misunderstood. As an East African
Health disparity is one of the burdens that contributes to our healthcare system in providing equal healthcare to everyone regarding of race, age, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status to achieve good health. Research reveals that racial and ethnic minorities are likely to receive lower quality of healthcare services than white Americans.
By every individual accepting and acknowledging that we are all different then there will be mutual respect for each other’s cultural difference. When these differences are explored in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment, they are more than simply tolerating others but that through these differences are instead commended and embraced. People become aware of each other’s difference and uniqueness such as religion, sexual orientation, race, gender, age and beliefs. When this is embraced by the health care providers then there will be improved care.
Perez, M. A. & Luquis, R.R. (2009). Cultural competence in health education and health promotion. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.
Cultural Competence is important for many reasons. First, it can help develop culturally sensitive practices which can in turn help reduce barriers that affect treatment in health care settings. Second, it can help build understanding, which is critical in competence, in order wards knowing whom the person recognizes as a health care professional and whom they views as traditional healer, can aid the development of trust and improve the individual’s investment and participation in treatment. Third, our population in the United States is not only growing quickly but also changing, cultural competence will allow us as educators and healthcare workers keep up wi...
When looking at the field of Nursing, one type of diversity can immediately be seen between the types and salaries of different nurses in one certain setting, such as a hospital or clinic. There are Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, and even Nurse Practitioners. Diversity is prevalent because of the different route that each individual took to become a nurse. This route ultimately gives the nurse a title and adds them to one of the groups listed above. These titles create diversity in the types of duties each nurse can do. For example, a Nurse Practitioner can write a prescription for a
The healthcare workforce is suffering critically due to its lack in diversity. As healthcare organizations are growing and the number of patients is increasing, so is the diversity of the patients. There are more minority patients are the number of minorities increase in the United States. The need for minority employees is crucial in that they are needed to help assist patients who have the similar cultural, racial, and ethnic upbringings. There are many barriers in healthcare workforce that are keeping minorities from reaching their full potential to become employees in healthcare, particularly upper-level leadership positions; as patients continue to become more diverse, so does the need of employees.
There is a lack of conceptual clarity with cultural competence in the field and the research community. Cultural competence is seen as encompassing only racial and ethnic differences, and omitting other population groups who are ethnically and racially similar to providers, but are stigmatized or discriminated against, who are different in other identities, and have some differences in their health care needs that have resulted in health disparities. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
“The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences.” (cite). Since a school nurse really has to encompass a diverse group of people and cultures, showing diversity is essential. One of the ways that the middle school
...elly, P., & Crawford, H. (2013). Nursing leadership & management. In Nursing leadership & management(2nd ed., pp. 168-177). Canada: Nelson Education.
In order to provide a diverse healthcare environment, all employees in the healthcare system must understand the difference between culture and diversity. Naturally, culture and diversity mean the same thing. Culture, is certain behavioral characteristics that are learned and shared. Diversity is referred to a person who is of different racial background. Considering a population’s diversity and culture together helps establish culture in a healthcare
In health care, there is no black and white, it is very diverse and constantly evolving.
Miller, Leininger, Leuning, Pacquiao, Andrews, and Ludwig-Beyer, (2008) support that the skill of cultural competency in nursing is the ability to gather relevant cultural data on the presenting problem of the patient. This cultural assessment is defined as a "...