The policy of equality and diversity is to ensure fair access to everyone, regardless of who the healthcare system is.
Diversity is considered a major attribute within an organization because it inspires different ideas and brings about more and faster innovation. One author defined diversity as the sum of our worldviews, perspectives, attitudes towards those around us, the resources we have available, and our differences in shaping the benefits we receive.
One of the things I have to remember when I first started this program is how diverse this profession is, whether it’s a patient or a colleague, an individual from every aspect of life. It was that.
I learned that living in a multicultural country does not mean that everyone accepts diversity. From conversations and hands-on experience with colleagues, one of the challenges faced by student nurses from diverse cultures is age, gender, race, disability, ethnicity, and above all, religion.
Effective instruction allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and learn how to use their strengths and perspectives to contribute to a diverse work environment.
Through experience, I realized that without diversity, the world would be very dull. By meeting people from all backgrounds, you can learn about people and embrace the differences through diversity. Learn to communicate effectively and find ways to get rid of social prejudices, even when there are language barriers. You don’t have to come from different backgrounds to learn cultural perceptions, but having the experience of connecting with people from different backgrounds can help you better understand different cultures and learn how to recognize and accept them. I can do it.
“Increasing the diversity of health care is not only necessary, but also important.”
Everyone needs to be involved in the creation of inclusive cultures, and management needs to exercise leadership by demonstrating and proving why diversity is suitable for the system. Their management style and attitude should reflect this dedication to inclusion. An open communication strategy encourages professionals to identify concerns, make changes, and collect feedback from patients, colleagues, and students.
Doctors, nurses, and other professionals always need the guidance of a supervisor to succeed in the field of their choice. It is important for student nurses to have a healthcare provider / clinical staff with positive examples that they can aspire and emulate as they advance their profession.
Due to the lack of diversity, ethnic minority medical professionals may have difficulty finding supervisors with whom they can engage and learn. As a result, this means that their ability to develop their expertise and provide the best patient care can be compromised.
Increasing the diversity of health care is not only necessary, but also important. Inconvenience and difficulty in an industry where language, race, culture and ethnicity can quickly create barriers, life is at stake, and every second can mean the difference between life and death. It can easily be fatal.
However, diversity is not readily achievable. It requires leadership to work to improve cultural knowledge and inclusiveness. It requires colleagues who are willing to take the time to get to know and learn from each other. This includes accepting to identify and address personal prejudices.
Appointing diversity advocates at various levels within the healthcare system reaffirms the organization’s respect for cultural diversity. Dedicated staff to host events and coordinate initiatives to raise awareness is a good concept when resources are available to everyone, including student nurses and their evaluators.
External representations that promote diversity and inclusion can be done through digital networking, exchanging online experiences and ideas with other organizations, attending seminars, or training to implement diversity.
Mutsa Chitate is a sophomore adult nursing student at the University of Bedfordshire and a student editor of the Nursing Times from 2021 to 2022.
