Cultural Safety: Understanding and Implementing Culturally Safe Care for Aboriginal People

This reflective essay discusses the importance of cultural safety in providing care to Aboriginal people. It explores the history of colonization and racism that has led to health disparities in this population. The essay also provides an action plan for implementing culturally safe care, including the use of language interpreters, gender matching, and understanding traditional healing practices.

Running head: CULTURAL SAFETY
CULTURAL SAFETY
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1
CULTURAL SAFETY
Introduction
Cultural safety is about the creation of an ambience, where the Torres trait Islanders are
not only treated in a culturally respectful manner but are also empowered, supported for the
preservation of their cultural uniqueness and values. The topic of my choice for this reflecting
writing is the Torres Trait Islander and the aboriginal people. I have understood that cultural
safety is above the Cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity. Cultural sensitivity is important
for the nurses and the midwives as it provides the people with the power to commit care to
people, leading them to the reinforcement of the positive experiences and also helps the nurses to
involve in any kind of changes in health care. The culture has helped to expand and alter the
health disparities faced by the aboriginal people. In order to understand the essence of cultural
safety we need to focus on certain factors. One of the crucial factors is the colonization history of
the aboriginals. This reflective essay will focus on my perception on cultural safety and my
understanding on how to implement a culturally safe care to the aboriginal people.
Discussion
The course module helps us to understand about the land history of the aboriginals. The
learning of the aboriginal history bestows us with the knowledge of aboriginal traditions, the
simplicity of their material technologies, their concept of kingship and their interaction with the
land. The study has helped us to understand how their generations are still perturbed by their
history of land colonization, racism.
The health status of the indigenous population is not equal to that of the non indigenous
Australian population (Anderson & Kowal, 2012). The relative socioeconomic disadvantages

2
CULTURAL SAFETY
faced by the aboriginals have kept them at risk of exposure to environmental and behavioral
risks. Some of the important determinants of health in the aboriginal are the lack of primary
health care, low standards of the health infrastructure in terms of food, housing, sanitation
(Anderson & Kowal, 2012). Their struggle for their land, deprivation of the basic rights,
separation of the aboriginal children from their parents- all have exacerbated the poor health
status of the aboriginals (Anderson & Kowal, 2012). I have understood how culturally safe
nursing have brought about exceptional outcomes in building up the rapport between health care
professionals and the aboriginal patients. Practice of culturally safe care has been very effective
while dealing with aboriginal pregnant women. I have understood how collaborative care of
westernized nurses and aboriginal traditional healers can really bring about better outcomes.
Feelings
 In order to explain my feelings, a question often comes to my mind. What is actually
cultural safety? Do we really understand or have just gained the bookish knowledge?
Most of the health care professionals do not understand the actual concept of cultural
safety; this is probably because the cultural safety lacks a proper framework (Truong et
al., 2014). Once I have come across an aboriginal patient who was in labor pain. While
looking after her, I thought we all are just the same. Her culture might be different but
she is not. Such a feeling has helped me to develop the sense of cultural awareness.
Reflecting on why cultural safety is important for the aboriginal people, I would like to
focus on the facts published by AIDA. It has been found that the prevalence of binge
drinking, substance abuse, smoking, violence, psychotic disorders is quite high in this
group of people. This due to the fact that aboriginal people has long been suffering from
the disproportionate burden illnesses and social advantage.

3
CULTURAL SAFETY
Evaluation
I have understood that such an elaborate learning experience about aboriginal history and
culture would aid me in providing a cultural safe care to the people under my care. I have
understood that racism has been one of the factors behind the aboriginal health disparity. My
sense of cultural safety has made me understand that health care professionals can become a part
of an effective solution for addressing the health care disparity. These disparities can be
understood from the fact that aboriginal people have to stand in long queue for getting referrals.
They have more faith upon their traditional bush medicines other than non-indigenous modes of
treatment (Durey & Thompson, 2012).
Analysis
From the question, “how can I employ culturally safe care to aboriginal patients’, I have
understood that I have to be culturally aware for providing a culturally safe care. I have
understood how aboriginal health is related to the loss of land, loss of freedom, social
fragmentation, relocation on to reserves and missions, loss of culture, loss of citizen ship and
forced removal from the children. In order to foster sound health in the aboriginals; the changes
have to make from the grass root level, starting from primary care, proper infrastructure,
economic advantage, good housing and food, equal education and job opportunities (Gair et al.
2012). We have to believe that health to aboriginal population encompasses all the aspects of
their life, their control over the environment, their self esteem, dignity and justice.

4
CULTURAL SAFETY
Conclusion
My course of study has helped me to think that we need to navigate our knowledge about
the cultural understanding while providing care to the aboriginals. I believe that the culturally
safety training among the midwives should be embedded with anti-racism training. Proper anti-
racism training would require the nurses to address their own position in the health care delivery.
Action plan
 To develop a strong rapport with the patient for creating a conducing environment
 Language interpreters can be used in order to overcome the linguistic barrier of health
care (Holland, 2017).
 Use of simple and comprehensible languages, open ended questions for creating a non
threatening environment and providing chances to express their grievances.
 To seek permission before touching for any kind of medical examination (Truong et al.,
2014).
 To understand the concept of traditional healing in case of palliative care patients, or the
use of herbal medicines such that treatments plan can be constructed collaboratively
(Truong et al., 2014).
 Mobile dispensaries can be used for providing primary health care services as aboriginal
women might have to travel larger distance for getting proper antenatal care.
 Some aboriginal culture might not support care from opposite gender caregivers, hence
gender matching is essential.

5
CULTURAL SAFETY
References
Anderson, H., & Kowal, E. (2012). Culture, history, and health in an Australian Aboriginal
community: The case of Utopia. Medical anthropology, 31(5), 438-457.
Durey, A., & Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians:
time to change focus. BMC health services research, 12(1), 151.
Gair, S., Miles, D., Savage, D., & Zuchowski, I. (2015). Racism unmasked: The experiences of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in social work field placements. Australian
Social Work, 68(1), 32-48.
Gerlach, A. J. (2012). A critical reflection on the concept of cultural safety. Canadian Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 79(3), 151-158.
Holland, K. (2017). Cultural awareness in nursing and health care: an introductory text. CRC
Press.
Truong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in
healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC health services research, 14(1), 99.