Culturally diverse workplace
Health organization have to take consideration of the various cultural differences when treating patients in order to ensure that decisions made meet the interests of both the patient and the organization. According to a research conducted by Neal (2009), organizations can influence the way people from different cultures interact with one another. In an attempt to try and improve Arab-Expatriate relationships, organizations in the gulf region sought alternative way to try and create appositive working environment despite the hostility that existed among employees due to the difference in their cultural backgrounds. The study by Neal (2009) revealed that, while hostilities are common among people from diverse backgrounds, it is possible to neutralize the differences that bring about conflict and create a positive working environment. The success of the study can be used to mirror the challenges that exist for nurse managers and what can be done to work around the ethical issues that exist in the medical profession due to the difference in people’s culture.
The healthcare industry is ranked second after the hotel and catering industry as the professions with the most ethnically diverse industries. This means that professionals such as nurses have to handle both patients and fellow employees from different ethnicities and it greatly contributes to the high number of ethical issues raised in the industry (Forbes, 2012).the diverse nature of the healthcare industry means that nurses and medical caregivers have to greatly consider the preferences, life choices and appropriate treatment methods acceptable to patients (Forbes, 2012). Other than taking in the patient’s culture, medical professionals must also ensure that the decisions they make are in line with the organizational culture and this often creates challenges especially when fast ethical decisions are required.
The challenges caused by cultural diversity especially in the healthcare industry have lea to the implementation of various policies aimed at improving the quality of health while still helping medical professionals make ethical decisions (Bainebridge et al, 2018). Although medical caregivers receive training to improve their cultural competence, skills and behavior, there is still the need to come up with more effective ways to help overcome the challenges that make it difficult to make ethical decisions especially for nurse managers. Training on intervention strategies and cultural competence for instance were proven to increase caregivers’ knowledge, skills and positive attitudes when dealing with culturally diverse patients (Bainebridge et al, 2018). The right kind of training can therefore make nurses and other caregivers better equipped to handle the challenges that exist in the healthcare industry.
Professions in the medical field are tasked with the responsibility of finding a balance between the different values, customs and traditions for both the organization they work under as well as the patients placed under their care. Since organizations have a corporate social responsibility, nurses have to offer the best quality of care but still respect the patient’s customs and traditions (Escrich & Lozano, 2017). In cases where a patient’s culture prevents him from getting a specific type of treatment or drug, caregivers have to come up with a way to help the patient without overlooking the patient’s cultural beliefs as well as their right to the best medical care. To achieve this balance, there is the need for caregivers to respect, rather than tolerate, their patient’s traditions and customs (Escrich & Lozano, 2017). Instead of only focusing on the organizational culture as the best approach, caregivers should treat the patient’s beliefs with the same level of seriousness they do for the organization’s culture. Respecting the patient’s cultural differences can help reduce the challenges brought about by cultural diversities and in doing so, operate in an ethical way.
The challenges involved when making ethical decision especially for nursing managers is further complicated by the fact that bringing about change often requires crossing boundaries and changing systems that have existed for so long that they are now considered a norm. Bridging the gap between organizational culture and a people’s culture is made difficult by the fact that people are less willing to sacrifice their beliefs even when the organizational culture has the patient’s best interest at heart (Dickson et al, 2011). Being a sensitive issue, there is need for caution when trying to find a balance between giving medical assistance and respecting a patient’s wishes even if they endanger their overall health especially when such decisions are influenced by cultural beliefs. There is therefore the need for more studies on how organizations can go about advising and helping people especially when the decision requires consideration of the individual’s cultural beliefs.
Health institutions could have a major impact in helping nurse managers and other caregivers make ethical decisions even in the diverse nature of the environment they work in. The attitudes and opinions that employees have regarding ethics and culture is greatly influenced by the image created by the organization with reference to issues like diversity and the importance of people’s culture (Bosch et al, 2018). Organizations must therefore hold the employee and customer customs and traditions in high regard as a way of leading by example. If health institutions take diversity seriously, the same will be passed down to employees who will develop a culture of helping patients and still observing the restrictions set by their cultural practices (Bosch et al, 2018). It is therefore the responsibility of the organization to ensure that all employees are aware of their responsibilities and that differences in culture are not a hindrance to offering good quality medical care.
Since nurse managers are responsible for both patients and employees, they are tasked with the hardest task of making ethical decisions that are in line with the organizational culture but do not infringe upon the patients and employee’s customs and traditions (Aitamaa et al, 2016). They must therefore be trained to handle the ethical responsibility of ensuring that diversity does not affect the quality of care provided by medical professionals within the organization. Caregivers also need to be considered to ensure that the duties expected of them do not push them to acts prohibited by their culture.
While most research focuses on the benefits of respecting patient’s customs and traditions when making ethical decisions, Chattopadhyay and Vries (2012) are of the opinion that observing culture when making ethical decisions could have a negative impact on the decisions made. They make the argument that the morality of the decisions made should be measured on a universal scale rather than in accordance with a people’s culture. In the field of medicine, consideration should only be given to what has been approved as the ethical code of conduct for doctors, nurses and other caregivers without placing a lot of emphasis on culture (Chattopadhyay & Vries, 2012). While it is important to abide to the international code of ethics, a people’s culture can greatly help in making ethical decisions especially when treating patients deeply rooted in their culture. It is therefore important for organizations and employees to find a balance between organizational culture and people’s cultural beliefs when making ethical decisions.
References
Bainbridge R, Jongen C, and McCalman J, (2018) “Health workforce cultural competency interventions: A systematic scoping review” BMC Health Services Research
Bosch L, Byun S, Rabl T and Triana M, (2018), “Diversity management efforts as an ethical responsibility: How employees’ perception of an organizational integration and learning approach to diversity affects employee behavior” Journal of Business Ethics
Chattopadhyay S and Vries R, (2012), “Respect for cultural diversity in bioethics in an ethical imperative” Med Health Care Philosophies
Dickson M, Keating M, Kwan H, Martin G, and Peng C, (2011) “What ethical leadership means to me: Asian American and European perspectives” Journal of Business Ethics
Eitama E, Kilpi H and Suhonen S, (2016) “Ethical problems in nursing management: The views of nurse managers” Nursing Ethics
Escrich Tand Lozano F, (2017) “Cultural diversity in business: A critical reflection on the ideology of tolerance” J Bus Ethics
Forbes, (2012) “Diversity and inclusion: Unlocking global potential”
Neal M, (2009) “When Arab-Expatriate relations work well” Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
