Using Appreciative Inquiry on a Multicultural Nursing Unit as a Transcultural Method for Discovering Individual Strengths and Common Values About Caring Relationships
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a relatively new but increasingly popular organizational development approach for creating positive organizational change. In this study, AI is used as the methodology to discover individual strengths and common, unifying values of caring among a diverse team of nurses caring for patients in a multicultural setting. A nursing team with a high percentage of Philippine American nurses was selected as the study population, as this group represents the majority percentage of internationally educated nurses currently practicing in the United States. Furthermore, the current nursing shortage is creating a continued demand for internationally educated nurses and there is anecdotal evidence to support the need for practical and positive strategies which promote cultural awareness and understanding. An action research study was conducted using a representative sample of thirteen nurses from one nursing unit. Key words include the following: Appreciative Inquiry, Philippine American nurses, internationally educated nurses, diversity and teamwork, nurse satisfaction linked to patient satisfaction and Culture Care.
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