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Cultural diversity in nursing importance
The need for diversity in the workforce
Cultural diversity in nursing fundamental
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Over the last several weeks we have learned that we live in a culturally diverse world. We have learned that it is important to acknowledge our own cultural values and beliefs while also realizing that others around us have their own beliefs. In order to provide culturally sensitive care, we must also realize the meaning of diversity and how it can also relate to the health care workforce. The purpose of this post is to define what diversity means to me. I will describe what some of the benefits of having a diverse health care workforce is while acknowledging that this could also provide some barriers in the nursing profession. I will conclude by considering my own diverse cultural background and experiences and how it might relate to the …show more content…
According to Andrews and Boyle (2016), having a diverse workforce provides a greater satisfaction among employees, which will result in higher retention of employees as well. By hiring a diverse culture within an organization this increases a workplaces economy and becomes a culturally competent organization. Otherwise, a high turnover can be very costly to an organization and the functionality can decrease. Many organizations have developed policies to help recruit and retain people from different backgrounds. When employees feel that they are valued because of their diversity, the employees will feel protected from discrimination, feel that there is room for advancement within the company, and increase employment retention (Kaplan, Wiley, & Maertz, 2011). With the increase of minorities across the nation, having diversity in nurses and healthcare workers to accommodate this diversity also improves the quality of care to the patients while also increasing their health outcomes and satisfaction (Ayoola, 2013). We have learned in the previous weeks that being able to communicate with our patient’s and understanding their culture can positively increase the outcome of the health. Having a diverse staff will also help establish trust and make them feel at ease. However, there can be barriers to having a diverse culture in the …show more content…
Some of these barriers can include discrimination and stereotyping between coworkers and also between patients and the healthcare staff. According to Andrews and Boyle (2016), gender can become a barrier for female nurses with males being paid a higher wage and receiving promotions quicker than females. Affirmative action is a policy that provides equal opportunities without being discriminated against (Adrews & Boyle, 2016). However, discrimination can happen when an employer is required to hire a certain percentage of minorities within their company instead of being able to actually hire the best candidate for the job based on experience, work ethic, or education. Role stereotyping can also hinder the workforce. Many see the traditional role of a nurse as being a female and a male being a physician. Many patients will assume that a male entering their room is a physician and therefore have more respect for them and their knowledge as opposed to a nurse. Hatred toward coworkers due to prejudice and discrimination can also play a barrier to diversity. Many employees can show negatively toward specific groups such as, homosexuals or Muslims due to feelings related to previous interactions or behaviors with certain cultures (VanLaer, & Janssens, 2011). Although there are many more barriers in diversity, it is obvious that we need to continue to work on awareness toward other
Immigration and the minority population is increasing each and every year. With a growing ethnically diverse population, it is vital that nurses are sufficiently equipped for and able to work with patients in a way that identifies and respects their diversity.
Management activities include educating the group and providing support for the acceptance and respect for various racial, cultural, societal, geographic, economic and political backgrounds.” Management should encourage and spearhead an increase in both ethnic and racial diversity amongst health care workers into management positions. According to Cohen, et-al, (2002) “by having medically trained health care policymakers who will accurately reflect the diverse American culture can eventually, have a substantial influence on the future of health care policy for all Americans”
Environmental justice can influence the population’s health. This environmental justice is relevant to nursing, because awareness brings changes and can save and improve many lives. When a person in a hospital or in a community setting is affected by a health problem, the entire community is at risk, knowing the population is lack of knowledge and have limited access to understand health care system. Therefore, a solution to eliminating cultural disparities is optimal for immigrant communities. In conformity with the Journal of Transcultural Nursing journal, nurses need to follow 12 steps to have a successful result when integrating cultural competence in the health care environment: social justice, critical reflection, knowledge of cultures, culturally competent practice, cultural competence in the health care systems and organizations, patient advocacy and empowerment, multicultural workforce, education and training in culturally competent care, cross-cultural communication, cross-cultural leadership, policy development, 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.
Cultural competence has a variety of definitions and, in health care, basically refers to the act of developing an awareness of yourself, your existence, your thoughts, and your environment and making sure that those elements do not unjustly affect the clients you serve (Giger, 2013). In this paper, I will share my total score and what I learned about myself after taking the Cultural Diversity Self Assessment (IllinoisCTE, n.d.), discuss two weaknesses or areas with lower scores, and review two strengths with higher scores. I will reflect on my findings and examine the impact that my strengths and weaknesses may have on my nursing care. In addition, I will discuss improving cultural competence and two strategies
The importance of promoting diversity in the nursing workforce is acknowledged by various nursing agencies and health organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2013). Diversity in the nursing workforce provides opportunities to deliver quality care which promotes patient satisfaction and emotional well-being. Reaching across the boundaries of culture is very important in delivering patient-centered care. Nurses are to be trusted by their patients. If a diverse population is not met with a diverse workforce, that trust may not be gained. This recommendation promotes the bonding of individuals based on culture and
Transcultural nursing requires us to care for our patients by providing culturally sensitive care to a broad spectrum of patients. The purpose of this post is to describe cultural baggage, ethnocentrism, cultural imposition, prejudice, discrimination, and cultural congruence. I will also give an example of each term to help you understand the terminology related to nursing care. I will define cultural self-assessment and explain why it is valuable for nurses to understand what their own self-assessment means. Finally, I will describe the five steps to delivering culturally congruent nursing care and how I have applied these concepts to my nursing practice.
The term culture is defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups” (Potter & Perry, 2013). With the increase of culturally diverse populations in the United States, it is important for nurses to practice cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to acquire specific behaviors, skills, attitudes, and policies in a system that permits “effective work in a cross-cultural setting” (OMH, 2013). Being culturally competent is essential because nurses who acknowledges and respects a patient’s health beliefs and practices are more likely to have positive health outcomes (OMH, 2012). Every culture has certain views and attitudes concerning health. The Jewish (also referred to as Jews), in particular, have intriguing health practices and beliefs that health care providers need to be aware of.
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.
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.
In the healthcare system, it is needed even more. Many healthcare facilities need to have their workforce diverse in order to reap benefits. In the 2000 U.S. Census, African Americans accounted for nearly 12.7 percent of the workforce, that number hasn’t increased exponentially today. Many minorities are underrepresented in the healthcare workforce, which can affect delivery of healthcare. Some benefits that many organizations see from a diverse work environment are: varied ideas, a larger talent pool, reduced discrimination, and more productivity. These benefits can impact the healthcare delivery system by improving quality of care and quality in the
As a nurse strive to provide culturally sensitive care, they must recognize how their client's and their perceptions are similiar as well as different. Nurse enhance their ability to provide client-centered care by reflecting on how their beliefs and values impact the nurse-patient relationship. To provide appropriate patient care, the nurse must understand her/his culture and that of the nurse profession. Cultural biases can be particularly difficult to identify when the nurse and client are of a similar cultural backgroup. When we recognize and know a culture, we will know what is right for our patient, and thus may impose our own values on the client by assuming our values are their values. Recognizing differences a present an opportunity not only to know the other, but also to help gain a greater sense of self. In this paper, I will explain more about diversity and cultural competence in case study.
In conclusion, cultural diversity is reality. I had the fortune of being a nurse during the transition to a culturally aware profession. I was able to observe the acknowledgement of patients, who in the past, had to contend with culturally insensitive care finally receive culturally competent care.
Living and working in America presents its own set of challenges. People originate from all corners of the world and all have one thing in common; at some point in their life wither themselves or a family member need to be seen by a health care provider. In order to care for these patients, we as nurses must be culturally educated. First, I am going to discuss some basic terms associated with cultural diversity. Next I will describe cultural self-assessment and rationalize why it is important. As a final point I will identify the five steps in the process for delivering culturally congruent nursing care.
Characteristics can be as diverse as ethnic background, language spoken, gender status, physical appearance, race, and religion to name a few. Migration from various countries is creating a diverse population with different cultures and languages within the United States. Due to these cultural differences and lack of knowledge, disparities are increasing. Studies have shown that both language barriers and lack of cultural customs can hinder the services provided to the patient by the healthcare worker (Renzaho, Romios, Crock, & Sonderlund, 2013). This study provided a positive outcome when communication and cultural mutual understanding took place and patients had a more positive health outcome. It is very important that nurses are diversified in various cultures in order to better care for our patients. According to Mareno and Hart (2014), cultural competency has become one of the core values being taught in nursing programs. Their study showed that the perceived level of cultural awareness and skills among the nurses provided was low. Awareness and knowledge levels increased with higher education. It was highly recommended that self-awareness exercises be incorporated into the nursing course and continued to be addressed during the remaining curriculum until