Equity & Diversity in the Workplace

As Australia is a multicultural society, the prevalence of a diverse range of employees within the workplace is growing. This week’s module was able to explore this topic and provide me with a deeper understanding of diversity in the health care system and stereotypes that can arise from this.

Being a first generation Australian, I am very understanding of how different cultures can be treated by others, especially when they are a minority. It is very common for people who are of different race where English is their second language to be disadvantaged. However, it is important to recognise that employees from different backgrounds are essential to the health care system as they are able to relate to and meet the needs of the multicultural patients that share the same culture as them. For example, Indigenous community may feel more encouraged to use healthcare services when there is Indigenous healthcare workers available to consult. The module highlighted the importance of equal opportunity for target groups, showing that “the skills, experiences, and insights of diverse employees are a potentially valuable resource” (Vohra & Chari, 2015, p.326) to achieve common goals.

This module also taught me about the five stages of culture shock. I have never had to experience being in a foreign place for a long period of time, so it was helpful to unpack the several psychological stages someone goes through when they are in a foreign place.

I found this topic important to learn about for my future career as a Registered Nurse as I will be working with nurses from different ethnicities and races. As it is important to work in a healthy and positive team where everyone gets along, knowing about how different cultures work is essential to maintain harmony in the workplace. Furthermore, having an understanding of the stereotypes for male nurses and migrant nurses can assist me in treating them with respect and equal to everyone else. I also found it important to remember for the future that to achieve an inclusive workplace doesn’t mean that diverse employees are to assimilate to dominant norms, but rather the inclusion of diversity so that they are not disadvantaged or discriminated against in the workplace.

Word count: 367


References:

Vohra, N. & Chari, V. (2015). Inclusive Workplaces: Lessons from Theory and Practice. The Journal for Decision Makers, Vikalpa, Vol. 40, Issue 3. SAGE Publications.

Health Literacy

This week’s module allowed me to grasp a stronger knowledge on what health literacy means and its importance in promoting and maintaining health. From looking through the module, I have understood health literacy to mean having enough health education to make informed decisions in order to achieve and maintain health. Health literacy is influenced by a number of social factors in our lives including culture, education, ethnicity, language, class, gender, and age. It is important to be health literate as one who has an adequate level of health literacy is able to “take responsibility for one’s own health as well as one’s family health and community health” (Sorensen, et al., 2012).

Looking through the module also helped me identify the population groups most at risk of low health literacy. These include: older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, people with less than a high school degree, low income levels, non-native speakers, and people with compromised health status. As a result of lack in health literacy, these groups are exposed to higher risks of illness and become unaware of preventative measures (e.g. mammograms) to prevent illness from occurring. It is important to realise that it is one thing to have a high level of health education but in order to gain the benefits of health literacy; you must apply your cognitive knowledge to practice.

It is the responsibility of health care professionals, like nurses, to ensure health information and services can be universally understood. This will be essential to understand as a Registered Nurse as I will may be dealing with patients that have a lack of health literacy where the need to educate them is greater. Furthermore, I have become aware of government and community initiatives that have been implemented to promote health literacy and assist groups that are at high risk of illness. As a health care professional, I would be required to have knowledge on where people can seek support and assistance to gain more health literacy.

Word count: 328


References:

Sorensen, K., et al. (2012). Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BioMed Central, BMC Public Health. 

Disability, Disadvantage, Vulnerability & Stigma

This module focused on identifying disabled groups that were disadvantaged and how they had difficulty accessing equitable health care. There are several types of disabilities that can be classified into physical, intellectual, hearing impairment, vision impairment, and mental disability. I understand a disability to be a limitation on a person’s physical or mental functioning. People that have a disability are often wrongly seen as objects of pity whereby their disability is seen as a burden on society. However, this module has shown how recent government and community initiatives have tried to rectify this stigma and assist the disabled community to get equity in the health care system.

The module also went through useful tips on how a nurse should handle disable patients. For example, for a patient that is hearing impaired it is important to face the person when speaking, speak clearly at a moderate pace, optimise lighting, do not exaggerate words, and check for understanding. As communication is vital within health care, it is important to understand how to communicate with a disabled person so that they understand what is happening and can make well-informed decisions.

As a registered nurse it would be important to understand the difficulties and vulnerability that is experienced by disabled people so that I have a holistic approach to my care for the patient. As patients that I would be handling may have a disability to some degree, I would need to understand how to deal with the person so that they don’t feel disadvantaged or stereotyped. Most importantly, as vulnerability is a “socially constructed phenomenon…created not by the individual’s personal qualities but by the world they inhibit” (Heaslip & Ryden, 2013), it is often the role of the nurse to ensure that they are not viewed that way and that they don’t feel vulnerable to society.

Word count: 303

References:
Heaslip, V. & Ryden, J. (2013). Understanding Vulnerability: A Nursing and Healthcare Approach. UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LylEgcaPaMUC&pg=PA1935&dq=disability+and+vulnerability+health+care&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR7rmE_NXKAhUG32MKHVraAbc4ChDoAQheMAg#v=onepage&q=disability%20and%20vulnerability%20health%20care&f=false