Social Determinants of Health and Critical Thinking

Cultural Safety and Nursing Practice

• Social determinants of health have historical and current social and political impacts, influenced by privileged, white, and Western ways of thinking.
• Social constructionism and white privilege, which benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, must be acknowledged.

Self-Reflection and Cultural Awareness

• Nurses must engage in self-reflection to examine their own realities, attitudes, and biases.
• It's essential to address conscious and unconscious racism, as well as other forms of disrespect, bias, and prejudice in nursing education and care.

Culturally Safe Nursing Practice

• Cultural safety is mandated by the Australian Code of Conduct for Nurses and required by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.
• Nurses must deliver culturally safe care, which increases the likelihood of positive experiences and accessibility of health services.

Critical Self-Reflection and Values

• Critical self-reflection is necessary to identify personal values, attitudes, and beliefs that impact nursing practice.
• Nurses must recognize their cultural baggage, power, cultural position, identity, habits of mind, and frames of reference.

Interprofessional Collaboration and Cultural Safety

• Nurses, paramedics, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals have different values and priorities that may clash, affecting care.
• Cultural safety is relevant to all nursing practice contexts, including hospitals, clinics, and community settings.

Human Rights and Health

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) Constitution (1946) envisions the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.
• Countries have a legal obligation to ensure access to timely, acceptable, and affordable healthcare, prioritizing disadvantaged populations and promoting equity in health.

Cultural Safety in Colonised Nations

• Cultural safety is crucial in colonised nations to redress disparities in health outcomes, particularly for First Nations peoples.
• Improving cultural safety can help address the burden of racism and other disadvantages faced by First Nations peoples.

This quiz covers the social determinants of health, including the impact of historical and current social and political factors. It also explores critical thinking around privileged, white, and western ways of thinking, as well as social constructionism and white privilege.