Learning Objective #1: Discuss the need and development process for best practice guidelines for embracing cultural diversity in nurses' work environment

Learning Objective #2: Identify methodological, conceptual, and leadership challenges for development and implemenation of best practice guidelines for embracing cultural diversity in the workplace

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A healthy work environment for nurses is a practice setting that maximizes the health and well being of nurses, quality patient outcomes, and organizational performance. As the Canadian and American social landscapes become increasingly diverse, the necessity to integrate diversity into health care is becoming urgent the need to identify best practices for embracing cultural diversity in the workplace is becoming urgent. The urgency is intensified by evidence of unequal access to health services and disparity in health outcomes as well as the increased nursing workforce diversity. Embracing diversity in the workplace means a commitment to culturally competent practices to eliminate discrimination and disparity, affirm differences, and actively engage in strategies that maximize health, economic, and social benefits. This presentation will describe the process used to develop best practice guidelines for embracing cultural diversity in the workplace in a project sponsored by the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario in partnership with the Government of Ontario and Health Canada. This project is part of a larger initiative to develop a series of evidence based healthy work environment best practice guidelines (HWEBPG) and evidence based systematic international literature reviews. The guidelines are based on a systematic review and critical appraisal of the literature done by the Joanna Briggs Institute which is supplemented by a comprehensive internet search and reflect an analytical synthesis by a national panel of experts. The overall goal of the guidelines is to identify organizational values, relationships, structures, and processes as well as culturally competent practices that enhance outcomes for nurses, client, and the health care system. The presentation will present an overview of the guidelines and highlight methodological and conceptual challenges encountered during their development. Implications for leadership, professional policy, and organizational change will be discussed.