改善多样性:今天成为一名黑人护士的经历

在充满活力的医疗保健领域, both diversity 和 representation play pivotal roles in shaping patient experiences 和 outcomes. 不幸的是, I feel like nursing continues to grapple with a lack of diverse representation, 特别是在重症监护环境中.

作为一名在医疗领域工作的非裔美国女性, 特别是在重症监护中, I have encountered the challenges of being a minority among colleagues. I personally only know a few female colleagues who share the same racial background where I work. This underrepresentation highlights the need for greater inclusion 和 sheds light on the importance of 文化能力 in patient care.

病人护理中的文化能力:

在医疗保健系统中, 患者群体通常是多种多样的, 反映了种族和背景的大熔炉. 作为一个黑人护士, I find myself advocating for patients who may not see themselves represented by the 健康care professionals caring for them. The patient's experience is about medical treatment 和 feeling understood 和 comfortable in a vulnerable state.

The ability to work effectively across different cultural settings 和 to have the knowledge, 技能, 值, 和 attitudes to fully respect 和 adapt to the diversity of patients 和 those you’ll come into contact with is known as 文化能力 和 is an increasingly critical skill for all 健康care professionals.

I often pose simple questions to my non-underrepresented co-workers: “你曾经是房间里唯一的白人吗?"和"What would you do if you had to leave all your trust in these individuals who do not look like you?" This analogy helps them underst和 the importance of 文化能力 in patient care, emphasizing the need for empathy 和 underst和ing from 健康care providers.

倡导作为护士教育者:

作为赫京大学的一名教育工作者, 我决心打破刻板印象，增加代表性. Being present on campus provides an opportunity to educate my peers about the challenges faced by African American nurses 和 the importance of diversity in 健康care. 通过分享我的经历, I hope to inspire others to embrace diversity 和 foster an inclusive environment within the 健康care community.

解决教育差距:

One critical aspect of patient care that requires immediate attention is the inadequate education 和 practice surrounding hair 和 skin care for African Americans. 给那些文化遗产之外的人, 这似乎是一件微不足道的小事, 但是当你处在一个你必须信任的情况下, 健康, 把安全交给别人, it can be anything but insignificant to know that someone underst和s you 和 can connect on a more personal level. 在各种医疗保健环境中, from home 健康 care to long-term nursing facilities 和 inpatient acute care, I have noticed a consistent lack of knowledge in providing proper hair 和 skin care for the unique needs of African American patients. This knowledge gap is not a fault of individual 健康care professionals but rather a systemic issue that requires urgent attention.

改进的呼吁:

As a new nurse practitioner, I recognize the responsibility of representing my community. I am committed to addressing 和 rectifying the gaps in education related to the diverse needs of patients. Whether advocating for improved curriculum or actively participating in educational initiatives, I am determined to contribute to a more inclusive 健康care education system.

绘制成功之路:

Being a black nurse today involves more than just providing medical care; it requires navigating systemic challenges, 为未被充分代表的患者争取权益, 教育下一代医疗保健专业人员. 通过解决缺乏多样性, 培养文化能力, 和 improving education on the unique needs of diverse patient populations, we can collectively contribute to a 健康care system that truly serves all individuals, 不管他们的背景如何.

I encour年龄 everyone to work with me 和 the broader Herzing大学 community to make the daily commitment of bringing diverse thought 和 action to your workplace, 教室, 和社区. Together, tomorrow’s patients will see the benefits I know are possible.