|
The UVAHS Professional Nursing Staff Organization Embracing the Diversity |
UVAHS and the PNSO share a vital commitment to the ongoing development of cultural competence in professional staff. Multiple activities and programs build the cultural competence needed to foster inclusive teamwork and provide individualized, patient-centric care in our diverse patient population and community.
The Diversity & Culturally-Appropriate Care Committee
The PNSO Diversity & Culturally-Appropriate Care Committee's charge is to enhance the integration of cultural diversity into nursing practice, to develop innovative methods to increase cultural awareness, to establish cultural diversity resources for nurses, and to ensure that data collection tools capture cultural care needs of patients and families. This committee's activities facilitate nurses' ability to meet the needs of the many patient populations we serve.
The group has achieved impressive outcomes in its first two years, including:
- establishing a centrally available diversity resource library;
- developing mandatory computer-based learning modules for staff to foster knowledge and understanding of cultural differences;
- identifying and securing CultureGrams™ online database resource through a Venture Award grant
- networking with many other Health System and community diversity groups, including chaplains, parish nurses, International Rescue Committee's Refugee Services, and UVAHS's La Clinica and International Center for Family Health.
- facilitating changes to nursing documentation to identify patients' language preference and literacy support needs;
- sponsoring special recognition of our African-American RNs and LPNs in an annual celebration of Black History Month;
- coordinating a personal welcome and community orientation for our cohort of internationally-recruited nurses; and
- holding many diversity-awareness events, such as an annual "Diversity Day" at the School of Nursing, an annual "Diversity World's Fair" at the Medical Center, and a UVAHS multicultural wellness resource table at the community Diversity Fair in Lee Park.
The annual Diversity World's Fairs are especially popular and fun events. The 2004 fair, themed "Passport to Diversity," raised awareness about considerations that help meet individualized needs of a diverse patient population and workforce, and the many UVAHS initiatives that exist to support these efforts. Each attendee got "passport" to be stamped at each display table, sampling different ethnic foods, learning directly from colleagues about their countries/cultures of origin, and discussing special aspects of care in the populations we serve, from communication needs to spirituality, from perspectives on pain management to differences in gender roles. The 2005 fair, themed "Circle of Life," fostered a culture of inclusiveness in preparing health care providers to recognize cultural practices and perspectives through the different stages of life. Both events were highly successful, with approximately 450 attendees in 2004 and 600 attendees in 2005. In 2006, there were over 1,000 attendees to the Diversity World's Fair, "Building a Bridge to Communication" in which communication efforts were shared with our diverse population.
Supporting Patients' Individual Needs and Preferences
Education on culturally-sensitive practices is provided during New Employee Orientation through a computer-based learning (CBL) module, "Diversity in Health Care." Preceptors role model and guide new nurses in applying available UVAHS resources in their practice areas. Cultural competence retraining occurs in annual mandatory CBL modules for all staff as well.
Resources for patients and caregivers:
Communication, language and literacy - In 2005, UVAHS won an award for its exemplary patient communications offerings from the AMA's Ethical Force Program. Programs exist to support communications between healthcare providers and patients with special needs such as limited English proficiency, limited literacy, and sensory and cognitive challenges. Options such as in-person interpreter services and Cyracom interpreter-by-phone support in-the-moment communications, and educational opportunities help prepare staff to meet patients' needs. Such opportunities include the PNSO's Nursing Professional Development Fund's annual support of several nurses to attend a Spanish for Healthcare Providers course.
Faith-based considerations - The University's Chaplaincy Committee developed resources available online for staff and patient reference: Religious Beliefs and Practices Affecting Health Care; Prayers and Sacred Readings; and Holy Days: Selected Readings and Explanations. Staff and patients may also consult with Health System Chaplains or connect with representatives of local faith communities.
Cultural beliefs and practices - The PNSO's Diversity Committee secured a Venture Award grant from the Hospital Auxiliary to purchase a HS-wide online subscription to CultureGrams™, an online staff resource addressing cultural care needs and permitting easy access to information about specific practices/preferences that influence health care interactions.
Resource Links:
-
Patient & Family Education (*HS login) sites regarding assessing a patient's literacy level and strategies to bridge a wide variety of communication challenges which can present a barrier to learning.
-
Language Assistance Services (*HS login) provides communications assistance between staff and patients.
Workforce Inclusiveness
The PNSO and the Medical Center foster an appreciation for the diversity of our team as well as our patients, embracing the ways in which our differences improve our interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in clinical care delivery.
Policies exist to support this environment of inclusiveness. In keeping with our relationship-based approach to care, the PNSO was instrumental in initiating the development of Standards of Professional Behavior; this suggestion from Nursing Congress was developed by a Nursing Cabinet workgroup, then adopted housewide as interdisciplinary Medical Center Policy #262. Personal convictions are also taken under consideration when making caregiving assignments (HR Policy #705, Staff Requests Regarding Assignments).
UVAHS welcomes all caregivers of diverse backgrounds and actively seeks to recruit nurses to reflect the diversity of our patient populations. As part of ongoing efforts to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce, Diversity Weekend recruitment events are co-sponsored by the PNSO, the School of Nursing and Human Resources. Weekend events are planned to introduce participants to patient care areas, nurses and nursing leaders, and community resources, Dr. Cipriano hosts the welcome reception, and direct care nurses and PNSO leaders conduct Medical Center tours. A number of other special events take place around the University community as well.
The Medical Center has also chosen to recruit a small cohort of nurses from abroad. This decision was made in a deliberative manner; consideration was given to ethical and business issues, and nurse leaders wanted to ensure that we would not be recruiting nurses from nations where nursing resources were severely limited. Practice areas were selected to receive international nurses based on a variety of considerations, including the ability of the unit to support the special cultural needs of the nurse. The PNSO's Diversity and Culturally-Appropriate Care Committee assumed a lead role in welcoming these new nurses and their families, and assisting them in learning about the UVA/Charlottesville community. This cohort of highly educated and skilled international nurses brings diversity that has strengthened the workforce and patient care. Those with multilingual skills also volunteer with the Language Bank to offer translation services to benefit patients.
There are also many UVA community resources supporting diversity and inclusiveness:
Join our team! Contact a nurse recruiter, or view our currently available nursing opportunities.