Nurses experience vast diversity when caring for patients. How do you deal with different perspectives and philosophies in the workplace?

"In nursing school, we learned about cultural diversity, and I learned so much about myself. I strive to understand and honor my patients' culture and beliefs toward healthcare. I have a personal philosophy of leaning in and trying to understand a different perspective. I always ask myself what I can learn from a situation. If the situation is tense, I try to work out my emotions before so I can enter the conversation with a positive attitude. I realize I have a lot to learn about nursing, so I am more intrigued rather than annoyed when someone has strong differing opinions. I am just so curious about other perspectives. Learning about how others think makes me a better nurse, and I always entertain the possibility that maybe they're right. I'm clear about the scope of my nursing practice and ask for guidance when uncertain, but I do like to hear other perspectives!"

"One of my favorite things about working in healthcare is the diversity that I get to experience, both within our patient population and within the staff at the hospital. I think it's endlessly interesting to learn about cultures other than my own. I always strive to treat my patients' and co-workers' cultural perspectives with respect. If there are times when a request from a patient seems unsafe to me, or if it's against hospital policy, I can consult with the charge nurse or nurse manager to get their feedback."