Cultural Diversity in the Healthcare Environment
Samantha Thomas RN
Chamberlain College of Nursing
SOCS-350: Cultural Diversity
November 2014

Cultural Diversity in the Healthcare Environment It is imperative to understand the importance of cultural diversity in the healthcare work environment and how we all benefit from these differences.
Managing cultural, ethnic, and gender differences in the work place Healthcare is a never ending and changing environment. With the new procedures, technology, and communication devices it is changing the healthcare environment. Cultural Diversity is the ability to be more sensitive to our diverse working environments and getting along to improve the quality of patient care. As management in an ever changing work environment it is up to managers to promote
And teach Cultural Diversity. The start of this I feel is working as a team without losing ones
Individuality. As we learned in our readings this week, (Harvey & Allard, 2011, pg. 41) “Differences among people are not inherently good or bad; there is no one “right” way to deal with differences. Learning to manage and ultimately appreciate differences requires learning, emotional growth, and stretching the boundaries of all participants “. Many work organization use avoidance or suppression of differences or separation of the persons who do not work well together or clash. Harvey and Allard (2011) that “Although this strategy may reduce tension, it minimizes the opportunity for individuals and the organization to learn and grow”.
Management and co-workers tend to avoid addressing differences out of anxiety, fear, anger, guilt or confusion about one’s cultural, ethnical or gender differences. Workers and Managers may segregate employees into groups that get along a way of avoidance and for most co-workers it is an atmosphere of comfort and predictability. As we learned in our week one assignment (let’s be lefties for a day, 2014) it is hard to live in a world and be different. From going to the bathroom and all the toilet paper holders are on the right, soap dispensers are on the right and the pages of a book. Living in an environment