Culture

“Culture has a powerful effect on an organization and is recognized by many as the “glue” that holds an organization together and allows it to adapt to changing environments” (Glickman, Bagget, Krubert, Peterson, & Schulman, 2007). An environment that embraces diversity and equality will help assure the standards of nursing to include cultural competency. It is important for leaders and teams to understand the practices and behaviors of other cultures. Lack of cultural competence can be a barrier to effective communication and this can flow down to patients and the families we take care of. Patients are more diverse with the increase in global travel. All levels of the nursing workforce should reflect the diversity of the population the institution serves (Coe, 2013).  “Effective nurse leaders realize that diverse groups are more likely to consider a variety of different viewpoints; therefore, they are more likely to develop better, more creative solutions to problems”

My institution is located near one of the largest military installations in the United States. We see many patients from different cultures. I also live in Texas and we see a majority of patients that represent the Mexican culture. I would most definitely incorporate someone from the Mexican culture into my team. As a nurse leader, I will need to understand the cultural differences among the staff. Having someone from the Mexican culture will help the team understand the language, health practices, beliefs and customs and this will allow for more effective communication with staff, patients and families. There are many dialects spoken in Mexico. They include Spanish, English and indigenous Indian language. Verbal communication is important and understanding that someone of Mexican cultural may stand close and use a loud voice is also important. Older adults do not maintain eye contact. Knowing that this culture may show up late for appointments, it is important to stress the reasons for being on time for healthcare appointments. Extended family tends to be a good resource for this population (Purnell, 2014).  This person will be able to help provide insight and education to staff. Having a culturally diverse team and members will help the group learn and grow and provide safe, effective, quality care to our patients