Diversity in Teams

Photo of four people of different ethnic groups and with and without dissabilities working together in a workshop.

The Open Mind Program deals with the multiculturality in nursing teams. Today, the care sector across the globe is searching for new talents. While there are many positive effects from those new international people joining the existing teams in hospitals and other care facilities, there are some downsides as well.

Often, the teamwork suffers from intercultural misunderstandings, stereotypes and cultural shocks. Moreover, as in all fields of the care sector, the time pressure is a big factor. Any step that slows down the team or needs to be reexamined delays all team members in their daily routine. As the working framework cannot be changed, it is important to highlight the surpluses of investing time into new colleagues and to understand their needs while integrating them into the existing team. Furthermore, different perceptions of time should be understood.

Extensive research has shown that some of the areas of concern for the nursing teams include language, cultural dimension of perception of work and lack of appreciation & empathy.

Learning objectives of the Open Mind Program include:

  • Showing the participant that neutrality doesn’t exist and each one interprets a situation from his or her own background
  • Making the participant understand that culture doesn’t depend only on nationality, but also religion, social belonging, education, experiences, etc.
  • Raising awareness to the fact that integration is a two-sided process
  • Insisting on the role of empathy and appreciation in communication in all areas of teamwork