Course Work Sample on Diversity in the Health Care Workforce

Health care is a need that every living individual requires at one point in life regardless of their race, age, ethnicity and social status. However, since people hail from varied communities, the aspect of care is translated differently to each community, therefore, the need for diversity in Healthcare environs. Diversity facilitates offering competent and quality care to all its clientele (Cohen, Gabriel &Terrell, 2012). It primarily works for the good of the minority which includes the poor and underserved communities. It also broadens the scope of research and solutions to various challenges. It is a challenge to achieve long term solutions on diversity since most organizations adopt short term goals but simple steps will facilitate the change. Affirmative action is among measures taken to achieve diversity

Policies that favour a certain number of people in reducing discrimination at times are not practiced well. In the case of the Native American, the Caucasian faculty member discouraged him from working hard since by default he would be admitted regardless of the performance. The approach was not good at all. One of the team members felt that it did more harm than good by emphasizing on the discriminative aspect. The team member did not acknowledge the good in affirmative action, especially in the current generation. The affirmative action shows cultural bias, and therefore it is important to focus on a person individually without the stereotype of the race of ethnic group. In this manner, diversification will be achieved in another dimension of peoples behavior.

Preferential Treatment

In the case of the cushy positions, the Caucasian American woman comments that minorities get good jobs. However, a team member felt that the Native American should not buy into the idea of preferential treatment by his ethnic group but rather should prove that he merits for the position. On another comment made is that once students are exposed to different cultures in the course of the school environment, they will transition accordingly to work set up where they meet diverse people. It is also good on another end since once certain positions are granted to minorities, other posts go to other people and this way diversity is achieved.

Racial Bias

Racial discrimination brings about disparities in health facilities to both patients and professionals involved (Cohen, Gabriel &Terrell, 2012). The racial stereotype exists, and one team member felt that its an issue that needs confrontation. The African American was in a position to address the racial stereotype positively by correcting the Caucasian Orthopaedic team. In this case, if the student felt intimidated by the actions of the orthopedic team he should have approached the supervisor regarding the matter. Discrimination was at its stake, but there are avenues to curb it if proper action is taken.

Safety Culture and Red rules

Patient safety should be at the heart of every health care professional so that the overall outcome of satisfied patients is achieved. The commitment to patients safety guides all the healthcare providers ("Culture of Safety | AHRQ Patient Safety Network," 2017). It also promotes an excellent culture within the Hospital that is directly linked to an environment of no blames ("Culture of Safety | AHRQ Patient Safety Network," 2017). This way team work is enhanced, and the hospital progresses towards a safety culture. In regards to safety culture another team member felt that in the case of racial discrimination, all the parties involved in looking after the patient missed a critical point. They did not bother with taking time on the patients chart which is critical to inform their response to the situation at hand. If any of them was driven by the desire to see the patient well again, he/she should have taken time on the chart before any action. Though evidence is not enough, the team member still felt that these actions were as a result of having a poor blaming culture. The student might have been silent since he never wanted any shaming or blaming. Such a culture does not emphasize on patient safety. Patients safety culture eradicates all minor errors and blaming mistakes.

One of the team members related the case of the orthopedic team to the importance of Red Rules in any hospital set up. Due to the risky nature of hospital processes Red rules are critical since their practice brings about a culture focused on patient safety (Jones & O'Connor, 2016). The team member felt that the hospital in question should come up with a red rule that is clear and concise regarding the healthcare professionals checking out the patients chart and information before undertaking any procedure.

References

Cohen, J. J., Gabriel, B. A., & Terrell, C. (2002). The case for diversity in the health care workforce. Health affairs, 21(5), 90-102.

Culture of Safety | AHRQ Patient Safety Network. (2017). Psnet.ahrq.gov. Retrieved 6 August 2017, from https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primers/primer/5

Jones, L., & O'Connor, S. (2016). The Use of Red Rules in Patient Safety Culture. Universal Journal Of Management, 4(3), 130-139. http://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujm.2016.040306