The purpose of diversity training is defined as a set of programs
aimed at facilitating positive intergroup interactions, reducing
prejudice and discrimination, and enhancing people's skills,
Knowledge and motivation to interact with others. Attitudes towards
specific groups or traits are generally developed throughout our
lifetime and through personal, shared, and heard experiences. These
attitudes are connected to one's emotions and feelings. Diversity
training should focus on compliance, harmony, and inclusion.
• Diversity Knowledge - hospital training programs should
include information regarding a group's experiences, customs,
communication systems, and perceptions in the community. A
focus should be on understanding the biases leading to
prejudice and discrimination.
• Diversity Attitudes- An Implicit Association Test can be used to
help individuals measure the strength of associations between
concepts and understand biases all individuals have. The
Implicit Association Test help individuals become aware of
attitudes they may knowingly or unknowingly have. The idea is
to help individuals learn how to evaluate a person only on the
things that matter for a decision, not demographic factors.
Individuals can also make an effort to improve their biases. If
someone has an implicit preference for younger people, that
person can try to be friendlier to older people by
acknowledging a persona and saying a friendly hello.
• Diversity Skills and Behaviors- Diversity knowledge gains and
attitudes realized need to be measured to ensure the
effectiveness of diversity training. The Multicultural Awareness-
Knowledge Skills Survey can be utilized for individuals to self-
assess.
Diversity training and be self-guided through different learning
modules by each employee to gain knowledge and awareness.
Training is continued by behavior-based training through role-playing
different sensitive scenarios to teach individuals how best to deal
with real situations to improve interactions with fellow employees
and patients.
Stone, D. L., Dulebohn, J. H., Lukaszewski, K. M., Lindsey, A., King, E.,
& Amber, B. (2020). Chapter 6: Diversity Training Effectiveness. In
Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations (pp. 137–164). essay,
Information Age Publishing, Inc.
