Examples Of Issues Related To Diversity In Nursing

Issues related to diversity Unfortunately, many issues exist related to diversity. One issue could be nurses and other healthcare member view other groups in terms of a specific behavior, values, and attitudes due to Ethnocentrism. Blais & Hayes (2016) state, “Ethnocentrism refer to an individual’s belief that his or her culture’s beliefs and values are superior to those other cultures” (403). A lot of people can refuse to diversify and be willing to reject other cultures. Nurses need to deliver culturally sensitive patient care to increase patients’ satisfaction and outcomes. Another issue related to diversity could be prejudice or ageism where certain people think they are superior than other group members or have negative attitudes towards elderly population. In addition, discrimination or racism can have a negative effect on the delivery of culturally competent care. Nurses who don’t pay close attention to their actions are more prone to fall under discrimination and contribute to …show more content…
Nurses need to recognize the values and beliefs of their patients and learn as much as they can about the patients’ culture. In order to overcome ethnocentrism, prejudice, and racism; the nurse needs to be aware of his/her own cultural values and biases. The nurse also needs to be aware of his/her nonverbal communication such as body language, facial expression, silence, eye contact, and touch. According to Blais & Hayes (2016), “to communicate effectively with culturally diverse clients, the nurse needs to be aware of two aspects of nonverbal communication behaviors: what nonverbal behaviors mean to the client and what specific nonverbal behaviors mean in the client’s culture” (p.410). Paying close attention to nonverbal behavior during conversations can prevent misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Therefore, effective communication can improve nurse-patient relationship and help understand patients from different