Challenges and opportunities for the multicultural aged care workforce: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aims: To identify (a) the challenges for multicultural aged care teams; (b) the opportunities to facilitate teamwork; and (c) the strategies to assist team members in a multicultural work environment. Background: High-income countries have an increasingly culturally diverse aged care workforce. Fostering teamwork in such an environment is challenging. Methods: This systematic review of qualitative studies followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) meta-aggregation approach. Six databases were searched. Retrieved articles were screened by two reviewers. This review identified 111 findings that were aggregated into 15 categories and five themes. Findings: Aged care workers' awareness of cultural diversity varies, and their knowledge of each other's cultural background is limited. However, cultural skills are demonstrated, contributing to teamwork. Their experience in cross-cultural encounters is broad, and enhanced team cohesion is desired. Conclusions: The cultural competence of the aged care workforce shapes team building, peer support opportunities and positive cross-cultural experiences. Implications for Nursing Management: Recommendations are provided for the adaptation of aged care workers to culturally diverse teams, fostering teamwork to enhance care outcomes for clients. Interventions for improvements in cross-cultural leadership and management, and staff experience of cross-cultural encounters are much needed.