Overcoming Racism and Prejudices in Nursing Care for Aboriginal Patients

This article discusses the author's personal experience with racism towards Aboriginal people and how a module helped them overcome their prejudices. It also highlights the importance of providing culturally safe care for Aboriginal patients and the effects of racism on their mental health. The article provides recommendations for nursing professionals to develop cultural competency and avoid exhibiting prejudice and cultural biasness.

Running head: RACISM ISSUE
RACISM ISSUE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Description:
From the early age of my life, I had seen people in my surrounding to talk about
aboriginal people. They used to say that they are uneducated and do not have proper ways of
living. They used to say that they have no education and are socially backward people.
Moreover, in my high school, I used to see that aboriginals were not included in groups and their
skin color was laughed at. From that time onwards, staying between such people had also
resulted me in developing prejudices where I also did not like them at all. After growing up and
studying the module in a detailed manner, I came across the main background of their poor
health and poor socioeconomic background. I developed the idea that my prejudices and my
racist feeling were baseless. This module helped us to learn about the history of colonization and
the ways Europeans had destroyed the lives of such people by tormenting them and torturing
them physically and mentally. Therefore, stigmatizing them on the basis of color, their health
condition, their economic condition and others are completely baseless and their exploitation
over the years had made them the way they are. Thereby this module completely helped me to
develop a new perspective of me on the aboriginals and helped me overcome my prejudices.
Feeling:
The module made me very happy that I successfully overcame my prejudices and racist feeling. I
was overwhelmed by the way the module helped us to develop knowledge about the various
ways by which they can be provided culturally safe care and develop their lives for betterment. I
was blessed that before treating any patient of aboriginal background, this module prepared me
and developed my cultural competency.

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Evaluation:
I learnt from the module that culturally incompetent practices of nursing professionals
affect the dignity of the patient and make them deeply hurt. The patient feels uncomfortable with
if the nursing professionals exhibit prejudice and cultural biasness. These affect their ego and
self-esteem and that is why they may never seek for western healthcare services ever. (Mollay &
Grootjans, 2014). Moreover, the racism one individuals feels would make other aboriginals to
avoid visiting western healthcare centre for treatment as they may feel that they would get same
treatment (Kelaher, 2014). Therefore, this module has indeed helped me to develop huge
knowledge about the racism issues faced by them and the effects associated with it. The good
part was that the entire module helped me to realize that I also had racist feelings previously
within me against the Aboriginals. I had cultural biasness against them that could not have
allowed me to provide culturally competent care to native patient and might have subjected them
to stigmatization. This module helped me to develop my skills to overcome such prejudices and
provide best care to patients (Bastos et al., 2017).
Analysis:
Aboriginals are exposed to racism for a large number of years. The prejudice of racism
affects them mentally where they tend to develop depression, anxiety, great if expression and
many others (Wain et al., 2016). Sadness, hopelessness and helplessness are three factors that
have always been intricately associated with your condition in the nation since the time of
commission (Durey et al., 2016). After discussion with the mentor and going through different
evidence based articles, I noted down the different aspects of culture, that I need to follow in

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future to not create any disappointment among the patients when I would treat them. Researchers
are of the opinion that body language is a nonverbal cue of communication that has huge
potential impact on the patient (Gair et al., 2015). Patients tend to follow the service providers’
body language and tend to make their own presumptions. Therefore, every professional should
not only be confident in their approach but should also feel genuinely comfortable while treating
the patient or interacting with the patient (Rix et al., 2015). Empathy and compassion should be
reflected in the interaction and the professional should be free from any stereotypes (Freeman et
al., 2014). However, previously I was prejudiced against native patients and had stereotypes that
they are uneducated or that they had their own methods of healing and health treatment. The
native patients keenly observe the nursing professionals and can feel disrespected if the
professionals show uneasiness and uncomfortable behavior. Therefore, I need to be very careful
while treating them so that I did not exhibit nay traits that affect their dignity and autonomy.
Conclusion:
Native patients are sensitive to their culture and traditions and they feel severely
disappointed when they receive negate and prejudiced behaviors from nursing professionals
(Durey et al., 2016). The long years of exploitation had made them very cautious as they are
trying their best to protect their culture and remaining traditions attached to their roots (Kilcullen
et al, 2016). Therefore, I will apply all the strategies that had been taught by the module about
how to care for such persons in a culturally competent manner by overcoming prejudices and
biasness. I should work accordingly to the teachings of the module when attending the patient
single handedly and would help them to feel empowered through effective communication
strategies. Racism makes them depressed and makes them go through emotional turmoil.
Therefore, I should try to help them develop their lives by giving information of different

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resources that would help them develop their social position. I would also visit the communities
and empower them in ways by which they can overcome their fear of stigmatization and visit the
healthcare centers for developing their lives.
Action plan:
I have gone through several evidence-based articles where researchers have stated the
different ways by which nursing professionals could overcome racism and prejudices (Hain et
al., 2015). It is the duty of every nurse to follow the principle of justice and provide a culturally
safe care (NMBA, Codes of ethics, 2016). The different recommendations given by them would
help me to overcome cultural biases and to prepare as a culturally competent nurse free from any
racism behavior and prejudiced mind (Josif et al., 2017). Moreover, I will also try to visit their
communities and engage in friendly and informal talk with then so that I can overcome my
stereotypes and become an expert nursing professional in future.

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