Cultural Safety in Health Care

This article discusses the importance of cultural safety in health care and how values, beliefs, and behaviors contribute to it. It also highlights the impact of cultural competency on the creation of a safe environment in healthcare. The article is relevant to nursing and healthcare courses in colleges and universities.

Running head: CULTURAL SAFETY 1
Cultural Safety in Health Care
Student’s Name
Institution of Affiliation
Date

CULTURAL SAFETY 2
Part 1: Mind Map
Me
Behaviours
 Considerate
 Kind
 Polite
 Sincere
Values
 Friendship
 Service to others
 Trustworthiness
 Compassion
Beliefs
 I don’t take things personally
 Religion
 People are catalysts not barriers to
success
 I don’t need others approval to succeed

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Part 2: Written Reflection
Cultural safety is a concept that is critical in any health care setting. In a culture, safe
environment people should be physical, emotionally, spiritually, and socially secure. One is
protected from any assault. In this environment people share knowledge, respect and experience
without discrimination (Wepa, 2015). There is the need for greater commitment to creating
cultural safety in an environment of diverse cultures. This write up will highlight my different
values, beliefs and behaviours and how they contribute to cultural safety as well as how they
affect my character as I strive to provide a culturally safe environment in the line of my duty.
In the health care profession, this is a very critical area since the patients are vulnerable
(Vernon & Papps, 2015). This factor should be considered since it determines the outcome of the
services being provided. In a safe environment, there are high chances of patients recovering
quickly in comparison to the unsafe situation. Political, social and cultural environment
determines the quality and the safety of services offered in health care units (Waring, Allen,
Braithwaite & Sandall, 2016).
Cultural competency refers to a situation where people, especially in the health
profession, can view different things, reflect on them, compare the scenarios with experience and
learn from the new development (Garneau & Pepin, 2015). This capability determines how one
will respond to different issues that may arise in the workplace. It is, therefore, necessary to
analyse one’s competencies and how they affect the creation of a cultural safety environment in
healthcare (Clifford, McCalman, Bainbridge & Tsey, 2015). To achieve this, I have reflected on
my values, beliefs and behaviours which in one way or the other may support or detract me from
providing a safe health care environment in a multicultural culture.
Values
Values act as guidelines for the decision-making process in human beings. Values can be
defined as the accepted standards of a human being. According to Dawson, Guchait and Mandera
(2018), it is difficult to get the right person with the appropriate qualities for an employee since it
is until one interacts with others that values become exposed. Friendship is one of my values
which have developed in me since my early years. My parents taught us to live with my siblings
as friends despite having blood- ties. I, therefore, grew with the attitude of creating a friendship

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with the people around me. In my profession, this has acted as a strength since I always treat my
patients as friends. Within this diverse cultural environment, I have been able to show love to
most of my patients. I have sometimes found myself in a fix since I have so many people to
mentor, take care of hence finding some challenges to manage all of them. The challenge has at
times resulted in my giving less than expected which leaves some of my friends unsatisfied.
The other value is service to others. I was taught that service to humanity is service to
God. This has acted as motivation in my profession since I know that even if my actions are not
acknowledged, God considers and values my service. This thought sometimes makes me
discouraged when I find people who don’t care about what they do to others and the kind of
services they offer. This has led to some of my colleagues’ avoid working with me since they
feel that am too thorough. Trust is a value that was instilled as a discipline to me by my parents. I
had to speak things that are true. Anything entrusted in my hands had to be delivered as
expected. With this, I have found ease in my area of duty since I will offer true information no
matter what.
Compassion is a value I have within me. In my profession, this is a strength since when I
am approached by a suffering patient I always can’t withstand seeing them suffer. Therefore I
tend to invest all that will see the patient get better. This sometimes leaves me tired, broke and
sometimes some of my things are not attended. This may lead to poor performance since I may
experience some gaps in the areas that need attention.
Beliefs
A belief is an acceptance without a doubt that something exists or is true, but there’s no
proof. Beliefs and values correlate showing one's identity and determining the success of an
organisation (Little, Gaier & Spoutz, 2018). Religion is one of my beliefs which I was taught by
my spiritual leaders and guided by my parents who took me to the church at a very tender age.
According to Johnstone (2015), religion has some moral prescriptions which direct one on what
to do and what not to do. Morals vary between religions. People, therefore, have different things
that they believe are right depending on their faith. Religion is right since it helps me do things in
the right way due to the respect I have for God, but still, this can be detrimental if I will not
consider other religions as important as mine.

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I also believe that people are catalysts for success and not barriers. It is true that when
you involve people in your mission things get done much faster than what you could do when
alone. This has given me the courage to trust in people to carry out some duties on my behalf
which has succeeded sometimes. It only becomes a significant blow when I entrust an individual
to assist me to carry out a task only to find that it was not done. This can be detrimental
especially in the nursing profession where delicate issues need to be handled within the
stipulated timeline.
I believe in myself. Hence I don’t need others approval to succeed. I believe capable, and
the sky is the limit. This motivates me when there are new things that need to be implemented. I
always take the risk. This is very sensitive in my career because something’s is too sensitive
hence may lead to some major problems to a patient or myself. I also believe that I should not
take things personally and this has caused me serious critiques. I have decided with my heart
never to personalise issues. Since my profession is sensitive, I take it easy and assume that
maybe the idea that I gave was not right. This helps me not to hold grudges with colleagues
which helps me emotionally. This at times weigh me down since I feel like am becoming so
accommodative by giving a listening ear to my critiques which might not always have some
good intentions. With this kind of thought, it is difficult to deliver quality services.
Behaviours
This is how one conducts himself or herself towards other people. Mannava, Durrant,
Fisher, Chersich and Luchters (2015) states that it is important to address the behaviours and
attitudes of health care providers so that the lives of women and children are saved. A nurses’
behaviours and attitudes determine the way they respond to patients and visitors in the healthcare
units (Heckemann et al., 2017). I am considerate, and this has helped me in my profession in a
big way. I always assess the need and take it personally assuming this could be my need. Placing
myself in the patient’s state helps me see things in the right perspective and respond accordingly.
Some people lack the understanding that some patients require more attention than others and
these people end up taking this as favouritism.
I am polite and kind. This behaviour has enabled me to attend to so many patients. This
has also fixed me in some situations where I have found individuals who are not genuine coming
on my way requesting for assistance, but in the real sense, they are not needy. This diverges me

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from attending to delicate cases as I try to understand and attend to their issues. I am sincere, a
behaviour I could not run away from since my parents guided, counselled and disciplined me. I
always speak what is true and that which can be proved right.
Conclusion
Cultural safety in the health care environment is key. The health care units are meeting
points for the caregivers and the patients. The patient who needs attention will either develop a
positive or negative attitude toward the health unit from the kind of services that they receive. It
is therefore incumbent upon myself to ensure that the patient will leave the health unit a smiling
person. This will be made possible through a combination of my values, beliefs and behaviours. I
will endeavour to give all that is about me as described above to ensure that cultural safety is
guaranteed.

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References
Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., & Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural
competency in health care for Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the
USA: a systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 27(2), 89-98.
Dawson, M., Guchait, P., & Madera, J. (2018). Organizational characteristics and personal
values that define club management culture. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism
Administration, 1-22.
Garneau, A. B., & Pepin, J. (2015). Cultural competence: A constructivist definition. Journal of
Transcultural Nursing, 26(1), 9-15.
Heckemann, B., Peter, K. A., Halfens, R. J., Schols, J. M., Kok, G., & Hahn, S. (2017). Nurse
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Johnstone, R. L. (2015). Religion in society: A sociology of religion. Routledge.
Little, J. M., Gaier, S., & Spoutz, D. (2018). The role of values, beliefs, and culture in student
retention and success. In Critical Assessment and Strategies for Increased Student Retention (pp.
54-72). IGI Global.
Mannava, P., Durrant, K., Fisher, J., Chersich, M., & Luchters, S. (2015). Attitudes and
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Wepa, D. (Ed.). (2015). Cultural safety in Aotearoa New Zealand. Cambridge University Press.