As we are using most services, our healthcare suppliers have completely different backgrounds. Their interpretations of various communication types are therefore completely different. It affects the ability of healthcare providers to communicate effectively. The result is confusion. Below are some of the problems that multicultural environments can cause.
- Language barrier. English is the main language of healthcare services. All staff at the hospital use English as a second language. Accents are common for people who come from other cultures than English. Others may not speak the language fluently. Some find it difficult to communicate with healthcare professionals. Non-English speaking audio systems could be overlooked and their voices ignored due to their inability to understand the language. Healthcare staff that can’t speak English are more likely to be unapproachable because they don’t feel valued.
- Stereotyping. Stereotypes are a common problem in situations where individuals with completely different cultural backgrounds work together. Stereotypes can lead to miscommunication in the workplace because they are incorrect concepts of other people’s traditions. Stereotypes additionally impair the cognitive efficiency of those that are being focused (Aronson, Burgess, Phelan, & Juarez, 2013). Healthcare suppliers who feel they are not valued because of being stereotypically treated will be less likely to openly share their ideas.
- Norms. Each tradition provides guidelines to help you determine acceptable behavior. Sometimes, completely different norms can clash within a multicultural environment. There are many norms that differ across cultures regarding the way they make decisions. In certain cultures, the decision-making process is delayed until the entire evaluation takes place. However, in other cultures the choices can be made immediately, speeding up the whole process. Effective communication among workers requires belief. Communication can be affected by completely different ways of building belief and relationships.
- Non-verbal communication. Non-verbally, communication comprises a large part. This includes gestures and tone as well as contact with others. There are many types of communication that healthcare suppliers can use to communicate with each other, even if they come from different cultures. This will cause confusion.
Communication is key in order to overcome the barriers that prevent communication between multicultural health facilities. Language and variety coaching are two options to facilitate information acquisition. Language coaching is a way for healthcare providers to help their employees from non-English speaking countries become fluent in the chosen language. This reduces the likelihood of miscommunications as a result of misunderstandings. Staff can also benefit from variety coaching to improve their cross-cultural knowledge. You will help them to see and understand the cultural differences between their beliefs, values, norms, perceptions and expectations. This will make them more culturally sensitive. Effective variety coaching can eliminate communication difficulties that result from conflicts between norms and stereotypes as well as variations in nonverbal communication. Variable decision-making can result from completely different norms. Mutual insurance policies can help to solve this problem. This mutual approach helps to build a sense of mutual understanding. We at WRMC are able adapt these options to help us face the challenges presented by having people from diverse cultural backgrounds.