From the Top
Let's Embrace Diversity
April 2005
By
Michael Greenbaum
CEO, CyraCom International
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Let's Embrace DiversityAfrican-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans
represent more than 25 percent of the U.S. population.
However, these three ethnic groups represent less
than 9 percent of nurses, 6 percent of physicians
and 5 percent of dentists, according to the Sullivan
Commission on Diversity in the Health Care Workforce. Of
the 16,000-plus students who entered medical school
in 2003, only about 2,000 were African-American, Hispanic/Latino
or Native American.
Asians present a different picture. While Asian-Americans
make up less than five percent of the population,
they account for more than 16 percent of physicians
and surgeons and more than 12 percent of clinical
laboratory technologists and technicians. And yet,
Asians are still underrepresented in other allied
health care professions.
With increased immigration and a looming shortage
of health care workers, the demand for bilingual,
culturally sensitive health care workers is greater
than ever. Patients are more comfortable if they can
communicate with staff members who understand their
language, traditions and cultural values. For example,
health care workers who don't grasp the Hispanic/Latino
concept of la familia—the need for
a patient to be surrounded by a large, extended family
of friends and relatives—could compromise or
jeopardize a patient's care.
The need for bilingual staff pervades the health
care system. Whether these individuals carry the title
of physician's assistant, nurse's aide, mental health
technician, nurse practitioner, dietician, R.N. or
M.D., their contributions are invaluable. They have
the power to help health care organizations better
serve diverse patient populations, reduce staff turnover
and minimize medical errors possibly caused by linguistic
and cultural barriers.
How can your organization create a more diverse,
bilingual workforce? Here are a few suggestions:
- Collaborate with other
hospitals, medical and nursing schools, not-for-profit
foundations and government agencies. These
organizations share your interest in developing
and sustaining a diverse, bilingual workforce
through culturally sensitive education, training
and recruitment.
- Hire bilingual, culturally
savvy employees who can help address the communications
needs of patients and families.
- Offer training that will
help all your employees care for patients from
varied cultures and backgrounds.
- Develop a workforce that
reflects the diversity of the local population.
- Promote your diversity
program throughout the community and service area.
- Enlist the support of
bilingual staff in recruitment and retention campaigns.
Prospective workers often join organizations based
on what current and former employees say about
the organization's commitment to diversity, as
well as the organization’s published diversity
policies.
- Create internal affinity
groups that reflect the needs and interests of
various minority groups, such as Asians or Hispanics/Latinos.
- Encourage employees to
form their own groups around issues related to
ethnicity, culture or language.
- Participate in diversity-related
events in the community. Or sponsor events
that support social issues that concern bilingual
populations.
With these strategies we can
create the kind of workforce that will help meet the
needs of increasing diverse patients.
Please
contact me with your questions and comments at mgreenbaum@cyracom.com.
Resources
Asian and Pacific Islander
American Health Forum
http://www.apiahf.org
Commission to End Healthcare
Disparities
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/12809.html
Minority Health News
Page
http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AMH/News.htm
MinorityNurse.com
http://www.minoritynurse.com
National Alaska Native
American Indian Nurses Association
http://www.nanaina.com/
National Association
of Hispanic Nurses
http://www.thehispanicnurses.org/
National Hispanic Medical
Association
http://www.nhmamd.org/
Philippine Nurses Association
of America
http://www.pnaa03.org
Sullivan Commission
http://www.sullivancommission.org/
Transcultural Nursing
Society
http://www.tcns.org
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