Intercultural Communication in healthcare - Essay Example

______________ Intercultural Communication in healthcare “As we encounter ever greater cultural and co-cultural diversity, the careful study of intercultural communication competence becomes increasingly important”(Chen & Starosta, 1996, p. 353). The word culture refers to behavior that is specifically human and also to be distinctive ways of life found in different human populations (Parween, 2009). With the increasing tendency of migration worldwide, there exists culturally diverse population in U.

S and other countries. There are many examples of how cultural miscues and miscommunication impact healthcare delivery. Healthcare organizations seek to provide excellent service to any patient who comes through their doors and for this purpose, healthcare manager should have ability to handle culturally different patients. Current essay is aimed at exploring some techniques that can be used to improve cross cultural communication in healthcare environment. Techniques to improve Cross-Cultural Communication in Healthcare Setting Even though some diversity initiatives have been taken, many healthcare professionals still lack training and understanding of how to work with others who are different from themselves (Bochner, 2007).

Building this understanding among employees requires time and energy on the part of senior leaders and is the most significant sign that managing diversity is a high priority in an organization (Naff & Kellough, 2003). Investing time and money on diversity initiatives in all aspects of the organization helps catalyze the organizational change needed for a diversity program to be successful (Coleman, 2004). In conclusion, to manage with diverse patients as well as staff, a consistent diversity training program must be employed for healthcare manager.

This will help increased patients’ satisfaction; improve competitive positioning and increased workplace productivity (Stokes, 2006) Works Cited Borkowski, N. Organizational behavior in healthcare. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett, 2008 Print Bochner, S.). Cultures in contrast: Studies in cross cultural interaction. New York, NY: Pergamon, 2007. Print Chen, G. M. & Starosta, W. J. Intercultural communication competence: A synthesis. Communication Yearbook, 19, (1996) 353-383. Print Coleman, H. L. K.. “Multicultural counseling competencies in a pluralistic society”.

Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 26(1) (2004), 56–67. Hubbard, E. The diversity scoreboard: Evaluating the impact of diversity on organizational performance. San Francisco, CA: Elsevier, 2004. Print Naff, K., & Kellough, E.“Ensuring employment equity: Are federal diversity programs making a difference?” International Journal of Public Administration, 26(2003), 1307–1336. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Parween, C. M. “A cross-cultural understanding of work-related beliefs”.

Human Relations, 39(2009), 103–117. Stokes, C. “Cultural competence in nursing homes: Issues and implications for education”. Journal of Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 28(2006), 37–54.