Managing Diversity in Nursing

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses managing diversity in the nursing workplace, explaining that diversity is a fact in just about every occupation, including health care. The paper further discusses how managing diversity effectively can create a better working environment that promotes understanding, awareness and a greater sense of teamwork and camaraderie. According to the paper diversity, affirmative action and equal employment opportunities (EEO) are all intertwined in the health care environment.

From the Paper:

"While health care workforces are continually becoming more diverse, there still can be tensions between employees of differing ages, genders, or ethnicities. Often, these tensions rely on misunderstanding or misconceptions. Author Riccucci notes, "Quite simply, human beings often react disparagingly to the fact that all people do not look alike, dress alike, talk alike, or think alike. In effect, as traditional, homogeneous workforces become increasingly diverse, tensions in the workplace are inevitable" (Riccucci 25). Thus, the effective manager will understand how to manage these tensions and hopefully keep them at bay. Even more important, upper management must support diversity and understanding at all levels and in all employees for diversity to be successful rather than a tension in the workplace. That means identifying areas of diversity in the staff, and educating managers and staff members in cultural awareness and understanding. If managers do not have the support of the administration, then cultural diversity could spiral into a major problem in the health care environment. Since most health care professionals are caregivers of some sort, understanding and empathy should be a little easier for many to understand and practice."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cross, Elsie Y. Managing Diversity--The Courage to Lead. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 2000.
• Klimley, April. "Diversity Programs: Coming of Age." Black Enterprise July 1997: 115+.
• Riccucci, Norma M. Managing Diversity in Public Sector Workforces. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2002.

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