Appreciating Diversity: A Workshop for Health Sciences Librarians*

 

This face-to-face course is designed to help participants develop cultural competency knowledge, recognize the impact of cultural beliefs or differences on one’s own thoughts, behaviors, health care disparities, to improve attitudes and beliefs about the role of cultural factors in the delivery of library services and programs. The goal of the course is to help participants appreciate diversity in individuals and teams; enhance their ability to work with diverse library clients and in diverse healthcare teams; and develop services and programs to promote or support cultural competency in health professions education programs and patient care initiatives. A combination of didactic, interactive and experiential teaching methods (small group discussion, role play, demonstrations, vignettes) will be employed to bring out successful learning outcomes.

The course will cover the following content:

• Basic information on culture and health, racial and ethnic disparities in health care

• Definition and discussion on terms of culture, stereotype, generalization, and assumption

• Brief introduction of several theoretical/conceptual models of cultural competenc

• Brief introduction of several types/formats of cultural competency interventions to improve cultural competency in health professions education programs

• Approaches/strategies for libraries to develop culturally appropriate/responsive services and programs that contribute to outcomes in cultural competence education and reduction of health disparities

• Strategies for librarians to become more effective in serving culturally diverse clients and communities and communicating and working with people coming from a variety of backgrounds.

Learning Objectives: 

Upon completion of the training in cultural competency, participants will be able to: • Define key terms/concepts related to cultural competency knowledge • Develop an understanding of key aspects of cultural competency related to health, illness, and health disparities • Identify the impact of culture, cultural beliefs or differences on one’s own thoughts, attitude, and behaviors • Identify tools and strategies for providing and adapting library services and programs responsive and relevant to the needs in cultural competency training for health professions students and in culturally competent health care for diverse patient populations • Apply learning in serving culturally diverse clients and communities and interacting and working with people from a variety of backgrounds in a cross-cultural environment

Agenda

1.	Pre-training questionnaire (10 minutes). Administer a pre-training cultural competency questionnaire to evaluate participants’ cultural competence knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and ability to work in a cross-cultural environment. 

2.	Introduction (5 minutes). Use “ice breaker” activities to help participants lighten up, get to know each other, and get comfortable 
with each other. 

3.	Discussion (10 minutes). Participants work in groups to define culture, discuss the effect of one’s own preconceptions and prejudices
about others on the quality of interaction and communication.

4.	Didactics (20 minutes). Present course content (e.g., differentiate different terms, explain cultural issues related to health care).

5.	The “Who Am I?” exercise for self-exploration and reflection (10 minutes). Participants are engaged in small group discussion, identify and discuss their cultural identity. 

6.	Group activity with vignettes (10 minutes). Use a librarian-client interaction scenario or patient-physician interaction scenario (vignettes portraying ineffective and effective cross-cultural interactions) to help participants identify key components in ineffective and effective interaction and service/program provision. 

7.	Didactics (20 minutes). Present course content (e.g., cultural competency for librarians, cultural issues related to library services and programs).

8.	Discussion (10 minutes). Discuss strategies and tools to cultivate culturally responsive/appropriate library services and programs.

9.	Action plan (10 minutes). Participants work in groups to discuss how to translate learning into practice of health sciences librarianship in different areas of library functions.

10.	Self-evaluation exercise (10 minutes). Administer a post-training cultural competency questionnaire to assess any change in 
participants’ knowledge, beliefs, skills, and attitude. Participants reflect on their learning experience and outcomes from the workshop. 

11.	Course evaluation (5 minutes)

Facility Requirements

Computer and data project for PowerPoint presentations •Internet access •Tables and seating arranged to facilitate small group discussion •One easel stand and board •

2 pads of Post-it Self-Stick Easel Pad (25x30.5 inches) (if possible)

MLA CE Credits: 2