Multicultural Nursing: Providing Better Employee Care

Abstract

Living in an increasingly multicultural society, nurses are regularly required to care for employees from a variety of cultural backgrounds. An awareness of cultural differences focuses occupational health nurses on those differences and results in better employee care. This article explores the concept of culturally competent employee care, some of the non-verbal communication cues among cultural groups, models associated with completing a cultural assessment, and how health disparities in the workplace can affect delivery of employee care. Self-evaluation of the occupational health nurse for personal preferences and biases is also discussed. Development of cultural competency is a process, and occupational health nurses must develop these skills. By developing cultural competence, occupational health nurses can conduct complete cultural assessments, facilitate better communication with employees from a variety of cultural backgrounds, and improve employee health and compliance with care regimens. Tips and guidelines for facilitating communication between occupational health nurses and employees are also provided.

Keywords: communication; cultural competence; employee care; multicultural nursing; veterans.