Nurses administer care and treatment to all patients, regardless of their backgrounds; therefore, they must exhibit cultural competence and an effective understanding of the key elements which contribute to successful patient outcomes. From one generation to the next, nurses are responsible for providing excellent care and treatment which is sensitive and responsive to specific cultural needs to ensure that patient health is not compromised (Engebretson, 2016).
The four generations include veterans born between 1925-1945; Baby Boomers who were born between 1946-1964; Generation Xers born between 1965-1980; and Millennials, who were born between 1980-2000 (Mitchell, Ahmed, & Szabo, 2014). These different generations have different perspectives on nursing, including their perceptions of cultural diversity, with older nurses not necessarily embracing the same values as younger nurses who have greater exposure to a variety of cultures.
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"Nurses’ Cultural Background and Impact of Care".
As a Generation Xer, I am in a unique position and possess more traditional values which I share with my older colleagues, but at the same time, I can also relate to members of the Millennial generation because I possess technological skill and aptitude which enables me to be effective in communicating with this group and sharing common ground. As I am somewhat in the middle of these generations, I can relate to both sides and have established positive relationships across generations. However, cultural competence and acceptance of all patients should not be defined by specific generations and should apply to all age groups because it involves the ability to embrace strong core values and beliefs that all patients should be treated equally and with the same level of dignity and respect. This requires skill in cultural competence and knowledge regarding the needs of different cultures to ensure that patient care is optimized across all cultures (Boyle & Andrews, 2015). This also reflects the importance of developing strategies which will have a positive and meaningful impact on patient care outcomes at all levels and will recognize the need for continuing education and learning tools to improve the response to cultural diversity among all nurses (Boyle & Andrews, 2015).
As a Generation Xer, I believe that I am in a position to be successful in working with the Millennial generation because they have a good grasp on technology and some of the more modern tools which support the nursing profession and the practice setting. In addition, these individuals were raised in a society where there has been an increasingly prevalent focus on cultural diversity and acceptance of other people, regardless of their language preferences or the color of their skin. This is an important reminder that this generation may be more willing than others to embrace diversity on a continuous basis and support the needs of all patients. However, this generation could learn from my own because there are situations in which they may lack compassion and may be unnecessarily judgmental; therefore, they must learn how to be more sensitive, supportive, and respectful of the needs of other people in different settings, particularly when they are working with colleagues and patients.
Cultural diversity is a unique aspect of nursing care which requires greater sensitivity and understanding from all nurses, regardless of the generation to which they were born. This reflects the importance of understanding the dynamics of patient care and treatment which impact decision-making and quality of care. It is the responsibility of all generations to openly and honestly communicate regarding cultural diversity among staff members and within patient populations so that care and treatment are delivered consistently, with greater sensitivity, and with compassion that will support effective outcomes and which will improve quality of life.
