On November 4, a dedicated group of Kaiser Permanente employees organized an event to celebrate Gurpurab, a festival to celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who is the founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru. As one of the organizers of the event, PCCCM Gurpreet Saran, MSN, RN believes that being able to share this celebration with other at work fosters teamwork, boosts morale and provides a platform for educating caregivers about Sikh values and traditions. At the celebration, traditional food and music was shared with the gatherers as well as pamphlets and posters, teaching others on articles of faith that caregivers may encounter. Gurpreet stated, “Understanding these cultural and religious practices is essential for providing respectful and competent care.”
Lakhdeed “Lucky” Lehal, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II in telemetry, shared that this celebration was organized to bring awareness of the Sikh culture to others here at Kaiser Fresno and to spread the message of the first guru which is “oneness and love for all”.
Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the work and there are over 250,000 Sikhs in California alone. Gurpurab serves as a reminder of the belief that humanity is one and everyone is equal; we should share with others; live honestly and truthfully; and fight for social justice.
“Looking ahead, my vision for this celebration is for it to continue to grow and evolve. I hope that, in future years, more staff members from various cultural backgrounds will share their traditions and heritage with us, continuing to promote cross-cultural understanding within the Kaiser community,” said Saran.