Cultural Safety in Healthcare

Colonial history of Aotearoa/New Zealand

Dr. Irihapeti Ramsden, a Maori scholar

To address Indigenous health inequities in New Zealand

By suspending their own ethnocentric views and respecting alternative world views and cultural practices

Learned yet dynamic ways of being in everyday life, influenced by attributes such as age, class, ability, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation

To reduce alienation of existing health service organizations and improve health outcomes

No, cultural safety is relevant to all nursing practice contexts, including hospitals, clinics, and community, and is highly relevant to everyone due to the burden of racism and other disadvantages.

Stereotypes

The highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.

Prioritizing disadvantaged populations and promoting equity in health through supportive policies and programs.

To improve the health of First Nations peoples.

It emphasizes the need for greater equity in health.

The right to health must be without discrimination on the grounds of race, age, ethnicity, or any other factor.

Take steps to redress any discriminatory law, practice, or policy.

That individuals are or can be responsible for their health and illnesses.

Any action that diminishes, demeans, or disempowers the cultural identity and well-being of people.

On-going personal cultural self-reflection and awareness by nurses.

That knowledge, including our understanding of health and illness, is constructed socially through our interactions with others and the environment.

That we can understand different experiences, including health and illness, from multiple perspectives.

It is based solely on physical body/biology and neglects other perspectives.

It is socially constructed and shapes our experiences and perceptions of health and illness.

To undertake on-going personal cultural self-reflection and awareness, and to establish partnerships and trust with patients.

A holistic concept that includes social, emotional, cultural, spiritual wellness that extends beyond the individual and includes the community.

Because experiences are understood through social and cultural processes, giving meaning to experiences, including health, illness, and wellness.

Inclusive and respectful language.

To acknowledge the diversity of cultures across Australia and to include Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Because they are not inclusive of the diversity of cultures across Australia and omit Torres Strait Islander peoples.

It demonstrates respect and acknowledges the diversity of cultures and identities.

To ensure respectful and inclusive language and protocols are used.

They are acceptable and respectful terms that acknowledge the diversity of cultures and identities.

Acknowledging history and intergenerational injustices is important in promoting cultural safety as it recognizes the past injustices and inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and helps to build trust and understanding.

A deficit approach focuses on the problems and disadvantages, whereas a strengths-based approach focuses on the strengths and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and communities.

Language that divides can create barriers and perpetuate stereotypes, whereas using language that promotes mutual respect and genuineness helps to build trust and understanding.

Cultural norms and cultural safety are crucial in healthcare as they help to create an environment that is free from racism and discrimination, and promotes mutual respect and understanding.

Healthcare professionals need to be aware of their own assumptions and biases in order to provide culturally safe care, and to avoid perpetuating stereotypes and discrimination.

Values and attitudes play a crucial role in promoting cultural safety, as they help to shape our behavior and interactions with others.

Cultural safety promotes diversity and inclusivity by recognizing and valuing the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and communities.

Stereotypes and ethnicity can be barriers to cultural safety, and need to be acknowledged and addressed in order to promote cultural safety.