Understanding culture in practice: Reflections of an Australian Indigenous nurse
Renee Cecilia Blackman
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University, Mt Isa QLD
PP: 031 - 034
Abstract
Most health care organisations aspire to develop a culturally competent workforce. Australian nurses are bound by professional standards to achieving this goal and there is a clear commitment by lead organisations to deliver nursing care that is mindful about respecting cultural diversity (ANMC, 2005).
The development of a nursing workforce that is equipped with knowledge and an embedded attitude of cultural sensitivity and safety is a nursing workforce that will bring about positive change and improved consumer experiences (Chenoweth, Jeon, Goff, & Burke, 2006).
This paper will reflect on current discussion about cultural competence from the perspective of an Indigenous nurse, and present a personal learning pathway toward a goal of cultural competence.
Keywords
cross cultural nursing care; cultural competence; Indigenous nurse
References
Australian Government. (2009). Closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage: The challenge for Australia. Retrieved February 13, 2010, from http://fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/general/Documents/closing_the_gap/p2.htm
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2005). Code of ethics for nurses in Australia. Retrieved February 13, 2010, from http://www.nrgpn.org.au/index.php?element=ANMC+Code+of+Ethics
Blackman, R. (2009). Knowledge for practice: Challenges in culturally safe nursing practice. Contemporary Nurse, 32, 211-214.
Cass, A., Lowell, A., Christie, M., Snelling, P., Flack, M., Marrnganyin, B., et al. (2002). Sharing the true stories: Improving communication between Aboriginal patients and healthcare workers. Medical Journal of Australia, 176, 466-470.
Chenoweth, L., Jeon, Y., Goff, M., & Burke, C. (2006). Cultural competency and nursing care: An Australian perspective. International Nursing Review, 53, 34-40.
Clarke, P., McFarland, M., Andrews, M., & Leininger, M. (2009). Caring: Some reflection on the impact of culture care theory. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22, 233-239.
Henry, B., Houston, S., & Mooney, G. (2004). Institutional racism in Australian healthcare: A plea for decency. Medical Journal of Australia, 180, 517-520.
Jirwe, M. (2008). Cultural competence in nursing. Unpublished PhD thesis. The Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Johnstone, M., & Kanitsaki, O. (2007). An exploration of the notion of the construct of cultural safety and its applicability to the Australian health care context. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 18, 247-256.
Leininger, M. (1988). Leininger's theory of nursing: Culture care diversity and universality. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1, 152-160.
Maltby, H. (2008). A reflection on culture over time by Baccalaureate nursing students. Contemporary Nurse, 28, 111-118.
Mohammadi, N., Evans, D., & Jones, T. (2007). Muslims in Australian hospitals: The clash of cultures. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 13, 310-315.
Omeri, A. (2003). Meeting diversity challenges: Pathway of advanced transcultural nursing practice in Australia. Transcultural Nursing, 15(3), 175-187.
Omeri, A. (2004). Cultural diversity: A challenge for community nurses. Contemporary Nurse, 17, 183-191.
Ramsden, I. (2002). Cultural safety and nursing education in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.
The Nguygen, H. (2004). Patient centred care: Cultural safety in indigenous health. Australian Family Physician, 37(12), 990-994.
Thompson, N. (2005). Cultural respect and related concepts: A brief summary of the literature. Australian Indigenous Health Bulletin, 5(4), 1-11.
eContent Home
