Blog 4. Week 9- Equity and Diversity in the Workplace

This module explored the importance of a multicultural healthcare team, and how equity and diversity positively contributes to the entire workplace. The following areas were explored: equity and diversity defined; multicultural workforce in healthcare; cultural shock; faith, Indigenous Australians, gender differences and generational diversity in the workplace; and how leadership can help to promote a healthy and inclusive workplace.

After reading about different cultural backgrounds related to age, gender, ethnicity, and leadership; I now appreciate the need to support, respect and value the differences of all individuals who work within the multidisciplinary healthcare team. I have learned that generic skills, rather than stereotypes and cultural labelling, must be promoted; because although our choices are influenced by our cultural background and circumstances, it does not define who we are (Downing & Kowal, 2011). We all chose employment in healthcare, because we all share the same values and ethics which underpin the many codes, guidelines and health policies in which we are legally bound to follow (Shahriari, Mohammadi, Abbaszadeh, & Bahrami, 2013). Furthermore, as a provisional healthcare team, our primary focus should be our patients, which requires open collaboration and mutual respect amongst staff. This is because studies have shown that lack of co-operation between work colleagues can prevent open exchange of patient information- of which, subsequently impacts negatively on patient health outcomes (Dienger, 2013; Vessey, Demarco, & DiFazio, 2011).

Therefore, as a nurse, I will be culturally aware and supportive of my colleagues’ diverse backgrounds, because I fully recognise that a healthy nursing culture will ultimately benefit our patients (Hendricks & Cope, 2013). New nurses can offer contemporary medical knowledge; older nurses can mentor inexperienced staff members; and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) employees can overcome language barriers, by acting as interpreters if the same dialect is shared (Waite, Nardi, & Killian, 2014). I will also encourage Indigenous Australians to pursue a career in nursing, because many Indigenous patients feel more comfortable, if healthcare treatment is received from people with similar cultural backgrounds (Stuart & Nielsen, 2011).

REFERENCES

Community Services and Health. (2011, Nov 20). Jenni Langgrel - Primary Health Care Manager [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lBNue0SqK8

Dienger, J. (2013). The impact of workplace relationships on engagement, well-being, commitment and turnover for nurses in Australia and the USA. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(12), 2786-2799. doi:10.1111/jan.12165

Downing, R., & Kowal, E. (2011). Putting Indigenous cultural training into nursing practice. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 37(1), 10-20. doi:10.5172/conu.2011.37.1.010

Hendricks, J. & Cope, V. (2013). Generational diversity: What nurse managers need to know. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(3), 717-725. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06079.x

Shahriari, M., Mohammadi, E., Abbaszadeh, A., & Bahrami, M. (2013). Nursing ethical values and definitions: A literature review. Iranian Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Research, 18(1), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3748548/

Stuart, L., & Nielsen, A. (2011). Two Aboriginal registered nurses show us why black nurses caring for black patients is good medicine. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 37(1), 96-101. doi:10.5172/conu.2011.37.1.096

Vessey, J., Demarco, R., & DiFazio, R. (2011). Bullying, harassment, and horizontal violence in the nursing workforce: The state of the science. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 28, 133-157. doi:10.1891/0739-6686.28.133

Waite, R., Nardi, D., & Killian, P. (2014). Examination of cultural knowledge and provider sensitivity in nurse managed health centers. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 21(2), 74-79. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/p587/journal-of-cultural-diversity