Diversity means many different things to different people.

If you ask five people their

definition of diversity, you may get five different answers. To begin defining the term diversity,
Webster’s online dictionary was used to provide a starting point. According to www.merriam-
webster.com (2020), the term diversity is defined as follows:

1. : the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : VARIETY

especially : the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different
races or cultures) in a group or organization

2. : an instance of being composed of differing elements or qualities : an instance of

being diverse

Diversity in my opinion means all-inclusive as it relates to race, sex, ethnicity, culture,

religion, sexual identity, physical or mental disability, and socioeconomic status. To walk
into a room that is diverse is to walk into a room where there are people who speak different
languages, eat different types of food, wear different types of clothing and look different in
terms of physical features such as eyes, nose, mouth, hair and physical stature. To be truly
diverse people must not be excluded for any reason.

One barrier to culturally competent nursing care is the nurse who states “I do not see
color” as a way to imply he/she is not racist. This statement serves to invalidate the cultural
and racial differences of persons of color. Leslie et al. (2020) state colorblindness
emphasized suppressing thoughts about demographic groups and is thus a cognitive strategy
for minimizing differences. By minimizing the obvious differences in patients from varying
cultures, the nurse is in effect being culturally insensitive and not recognizing the uniqueness
of the patient. In essence, if a Chinese patient is required to take medications given by the
nurse, she would not recognize that in Asian culture warm water is preferred over cold water
as it is believed to enhance digestion.

Another barrier to culturally competent nursing care is a workforce that does not
reflect the diversity of its patient population. According to the American Association of the
Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2017), according to a 2017 survey conducted by the National
Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and The Forum of State Nursing Workforce
Centers, nurses from minority backgrounds represent 19.2% of the registered nurse (RN)
workforce with White/Caucasian comprising 80.8%. At the facility where I am employed, the
majority of patients seen in the ER are from underrepresented populations who are treated by a
majority of white physicians and nurses. The lack of diversity is often reflected in the culturally
insensitive care received by patients.

Facilitators to culturally competent care are physicians and nurses who speak more than
one language and are able to communicate with patients in their native language. As someone
who speaks Spanish, this has helped relay information to other providers who are only fluent in
English. Tan and Denson (2019) state professionals’ inability to communicate with clients in
their own languages can create barriers and misinterpretation. They further state that clients may
not be comfortable expressing their experiences in another language (Tan and Denson, 2019).
By speaking to patients in their native language, providers have a working knowledge of the
culture and are able to make patients feel more comfortable during what can be a very stressful
time.

Culturally competent nursing care positively impacts healthcare barriers in diverse

populations by allowing patients to feel seen and heard. When speaking to patients in
Spanish, I have had the opportunity to help patients understand what is going on, what the
physician has ordered and what the next steps will be in the event the patient has additional
blood work or radiological exams. Cultural competence is the ability to provide effective
care for patients from different cultures and requires sensitivity and effective
communication in nursing, both verbally and non-verbally (The Michigan Nurse, 2015).
Patients are more comfortable conversing in their own language and have the ability to ask
questions rather than just go along with what is being said like the parents in the case of Lia
Lee. They did not understand what was happening with their daughter but they went along
with the physicians’ requests and signed documents for which they had no understanding.

References

Diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity

Enhancing diversity in the workforce. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-

Information/Fact-Sheets/Enhancing-Diversity

Leslie, L., Bono, J., Kim, Y., & Beaver, G. (2020). On melting pots and salad bowls: A meta-
analysis of the effects of identity-blind and identity-conscious diversity ideologies. Journal of
Applied Psychology, 105(5), 453–471. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000446.supp 

Culturally Competent Nursing Care and Promoting Diversity in Our Nursing Workforce.
(2015). The Michigan Nurse, 88(3), 7–11.

Tan, L., & Denson, L. (2019). Bilingual and multilingual psychologists practicing in Australia:
An exploratory study of their skills, training needs and experiences. Australian
Psychologist, 54(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12355