From the Top. Let's Embrace Diversity.
By Michael Greenbaum
CEO, CyraCom International
mgreenbaum@cyracom.com
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Let's Embrace Diversity African-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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