Abstract:
Communication and diversity are essential features of safe and effective health care and of a safe and effective nursing workforce. Fostering diversity and meaningful inclusion of diverse perspectives in nursing school classrooms, labs and clinical learning environments are important steps toward building a stronger nursing workforce and health care system. This paper presents an argument for the importance of replacing the single, dominant voice in nursing education with culturally responsive teaching and offers strategies nurse educators can use to encourage students to share alternative perspectives and engage in alternative methods of discourse and communication. This essay reflects a review of the theoretical background to culturally responsive teaching and discusses how this method connects to nursing education. By engaging in culturally responsive teaching, nurse educators will prepare a nursing workforce that is ready to add multiple diverse voices to the health care team and contribute to the redesign of a safer and more effective health care system.