ONS Embraces Diversity

Diversity is a word that you hear a lot about these days. Sometimes, however, the concept is not fully understood or adequately integrated. Diversity isn't just age, race, gender, and religion. It's much more than that.

Diverse means incorporating "the unique experiences and characteristics that distinguish and unify individuals and groups from one another." Thus, diversity entails not only race but also all the other traits that make people stand out as individuals. It includes personality and work style, as well as secondary influences, such as religion, socioeconomics, and education.

Patients with cancer reflect the demographic change occurring in America and have increasing differences in culture, religion, socioeconomic status, race, and lifestyle. Through embracing and learning from these differences, oncology nurses become stronger care providers and leaders. ONS strives to represent the demographics of all our members-and the patients they serve-by promoting diversity within our membership, our staff, and all that we do.

It is our hope that Diversity Champions will embrace and consider all aspects of what it means to be "diverse" when initiating programs and implementing ideas.

Diversity is a word that you hear a lot about these days. Sometimes, however, the concept is not fully understood or adequately integrated. Diversity isn't just age, race, gender, and religion. It's much more than that.

Diverse means incorporating "the unique experiences and characteristics that distinguish and unify individuals and groups from one another." Thus, diversity entails not only race but also all the other traits that make people stand out as individuals. It includes personality and work style, as well as secondary influences, such as religion, socioeconomics, and education.

Patients with cancer reflect the demographic change occurring in America and have increasing differences in culture, religion, socioeconomic status, race, and lifestyle. Through embracing and learning from these differences, oncology nurses become stronger care providers and leaders. ONS strives to represent the demographics of all our members-and the patients they serve-by promoting diversity within our membership, our staff, and all that we do.

It is our hope that Diversity Champions will embrace and consider all aspects of what it means to be "diverse" when initiating programs and implementing ideas.