Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity by:Peggy Smith

I find the subject of cultural diversity very interesting. I my position at work, and in other jobs that I have had before, an understanding and an acceptance of the differences of people has made a difference in my personal attitude and personality with my fellow employee's and patients.
I am a respiratory therapist, and I have been around alot of people that basically live their life and do many things differently than I would. Most of the patients that I meet are life long smokers, and when they need the assistance of medications and supplemental oxygen because of the lung damage, I have to be accepting and nonjudgmental and help them realize that I am there to make them feel better. I use encouragement for people to quit smoking, not chastise them for their nasty habits. I don't judge people for having a dirty house or literally having a pig pen, complete with two pigs living in it, right outside their bedroom window. I try to get them to understand that maybe the pigs would be happier out by the barn and they might breathe better if they did not have the smell of pigs floating through the air when they sleep at night with the windows open. These kinds of things apply when dealing with patients from other countries that don't speak english very well. I try to be patient with them and do the best I can to explain why they need this new medicine or machine. Alot of the times these are the people that go out of their way to thank you for taking time for them when they need the help and want to offer me food that they made. I usually just say no because of the living conditions, but I don't let them know that the stuff looks kind of yucky. I just try to be aware that I may do things differently, but some people are living in the best conditions that they can afford and it is not always their fault. I am not exactly a very religious person, but one thing I notice that I do when I see people that are obviously not the same as me, is I am reminded of a saying I learned from church. It goes like this, "Whatsoever you do, to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me." It may be a direct quote from Jesus, but I do not know where it would be in the Bible. Cultural diversity does not always mean people from foreign countries, it can be associating with people that have a different lifestyle than your own.