As 3 nursing administrators, we relinquished our executive roles and participated in a medical mission trip to Haiti. We found ourselves returning to basic nursing skills, appreciating the importance of teamwork, and valuing the significance of a shared mission to achieve goals. In the end, many lessons were learned that have been important once we returned to the United States. We highly valued our experience and encourage our colleagues to participate in volunteer work.

69 Background: Healthcare organizations can cultivate the strength of a diverse workforce in creating a culture of excellence. Enabling the team to understand how personal and cultural beliefs affect our decision making and how we interact with patients and colleagues is integral. Gaps in care exist in cancer diagnoses and treatment in many minority groups. A need for education in the nature of assumptions, unconscious biases, and awareness around the existence of healthcare disparities, was identified through culture transformation work within multiple healthcare institutions. Methods: An experiential course was designed for multi-disciplinary groups of providers. Designed to meet the evolving demographics in the country and help participants recognize how their own cultural beliefs and values affect their decision making. Topics include cultural awareness, assumptions and unconscious bias, effective use of interpreters, and skills to recognize when cultural differences may be playing a role and how to successfully navigate these situations. Raising awareness of healthcare disparities is highlighted, including disparities in cancer care diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for different ethnicities and socioeconomic groups. Examples include disparities in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of lung cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer in minorities. Results: Participants engage in skills-based work. Participants develop a plan how they can take this information and education back to help create an awareness of disparities and skills to successfully navigate these situations. After this program, participants will be cognizant of the nature of assumptions and unconscious bias and understand the strength of diversity as an asset rather than a hindrance. Conclusions: Healthcare disparities can have a significant impact on patient experience, quality and outcomes. Specific inequities in cancer diagnosis and treatment in minorities is highlighted. Participants are provided with information and skills that can be introduced to their home institutions to have all caregivers recognize and successfully navigate culturally sensitive situations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the features that comprise transcultural education programs provided by home health agencies for registered nurse staff within selected Pennsylvania agencies. This descriptive research study encompassed a survey that was mailed to a representative sample of home health agency administrators with a 54% response rate. The survey solicited answers to questions regarding agency demographics, patient and staff composition, and current transcultural education programs. The study serves to expand basic research in transcultural education programs within home health care.