Cultural Safety in Health Care: A Personal Reflection Essay

This essay delves into the critical concept of cultural safety within the healthcare sector, emphasizing its importance in empowering both patients and healthcare practitioners. It explores the evolution of cultural safety, particularly in the Australian context, and its broad application across diverse cultural determinants. The essay highlights the crucial role of healthcare practitioners in providing culturally safe care, focusing on self-assessment of personal values and beliefs and their potential impact on patient interactions. The author, drawing from their background in Nepal and experiences in Australia, reflects on their personal values, beliefs, and behaviors, such as honesty, kindness, and respect, and how they contribute to or detract from their ability to be a culturally safe practitioner. The essay also discusses the significance of cross-cultural training, the NMBA standards, and the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in delivering culturally competent care. It acknowledges potential challenges, such as gender inequality, and outlines strategies for improvement to ensure the provision of ethical, compassionate, and patient-centered care, ultimately contributing to positive health outcomes.

Running head: CULTURAL SAFETY IN HEALTH CARE
Cultural safety in Health Care
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Mind map
Values
Honesty
Persistence
Kindness
Respect
Behaviours
Care and compassion for
people
Continue learning and seek
oppurtunities
Avoid discrimination
Develop ing cultural
awareness
Beliefs
Non-judgemental attitude
Believe in ethcal conduct
Gender equality
Respect people's culture,
ethnicity, beliefs and
dignity

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Personal reflection
In health care sector cultural safety is the matter of great concern. This concept involves
the empowerment of the patients and the health care practitioners. In Australia, cultural safety
was a response to the poor health outcomes of the Indigenous population. However, it currently
encompasses a broad range of cultural determinants (Freeman et al., 2014). Health care
practitioners are responsible for providing culturally safe care. The importance of cultural safety
is placed on identifying the personal values and beliefs and evaluating the same. The importance
is also placed in recognising the potential for these values and beliefs to impact on others.
Australia is the multicultural society, and there is an increasing concern related to racial and
cultural inequalities owing to increase in immigration rate. Thus, cultural competencies or cross-
cultural skills have become imperative over time in the complex health care setting (Jeffreys,
2015).
Cultural safety in the health care refers to the ability of the care professionals to deliver
health services that meet the patient's cultural, linguistic and social needs. The objective of this
culturally competent care is to overcome the health care challenges posed by the increasing
diversity. Such care will reduce the disparities related to the race and ethnicity and improve the
quality of care. It will eventually improve the health outcomes (Shen, 2015). In this essay, the
personal values, beliefs, behaviour that may contribute or detract from being a culturally safe
practioner is discussed.
Reflection is an effective tool in determining one’s own cultural values and beliefs. It is
the first step to understand the objective of “cultural safety” education. It is not just reaching the
standardised level of cultural competence. Instead, it is the increase in the desire to enhance own

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cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills (Truong, Paradies & Priest, 2014). Reflecting on my
cultural identity will help recognise personal ability to provide culturally safe care as health care
practitioner. Lack of ability to adapt to the cross-cultural interactions in the health care
environment will lead to poor patent satisfaction. Cultural safety is the ongoing learning process,
and there is no coherent approach to integrate this skill in health services. In the last two decades,
there is the increase in emphasis on cross-cultural training for the health care professionals. It is
an important requirement the nurses must fulfil as per the NMBA (Nursing Midwifery Board
Australia) accreditation (Pairman & Donnellan-Fernandez 2012).
I was born and bought up in Nepal, which is a multicultural society. It has played a great
role in shaping my values, beliefs, and behaviours. My cultural identity is the product of my
social relationship, personal experience, and education and family values. I belong to the Hindu
society where people believe in upbringing their children in conservative fashion. However, they
are kind and respectful in dealing with others. Being a part of such society has instilled in me the
cultural values of honesty, persistence, kindness and respect. Although I am Hindu, I was
educated in school where I could interact with other children from Christian, Muslim, and
minority groups. My parents have also supported me to accept individual differences and have
always been a part of festivals of different cultures. It was easy for me to build rapport and
establish trust with my friends and colleagues. Considering nursing as my calling, I have faith
that I can deliver non-judgmental care to the patients irrespective of their lifestyle choices,
financial status, race and spiritual beliefs. Therefore, I hope to contribute to the culturally safe
care as I can build positive rapport with the co-workers in the culturally diverse workplace.
Health care professionals work in the complex setting. Thus, interpersonal collaboration
is imperative from a team-based perspective. It is known as complex partnership. It allows every

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member of the interdisciplinary team to communicate and share their ideas. It is also considered
to be the trademark of successful health care innovation (Moore et al., 2017). With the help of
my values and ease of accepting differences, I would be able to contribute to the multicultural
context and tolerate the ambiguity through cooperatively and flexibility. According to NMBA
national competency standards for registered nurses collaborative and therapeutic practice
requires demonstrating empathy, respect and trust for the dignity of an individual which once
again align with my cultural values (NMBA,2018).
Nursing is the profession that has no scope of boredom. There is always much to learn,
and it is an advantage for me as I love to engage in continuous learning process. I seek new
opportunities. This behaviour will help me take advantage of the cross-cultural training for
nurses. As I moved to Australia for studies, I had to learn and adjust to new societal norms and
cultural practices. Therefore, I am confident to adapt to the cross-cultural interactions in the
health care setting in the long run. According to the national competency standards (standard 2.3)
for the registered nurse by the NMBA, nursing must be practised in the way that acknowledges
the culture, dignity, values, beliefs and rights of the individual groups (NMBA, 2017). Ever since
I was teenager, I developed the interest in gaining cultural awareness. I respect others culture and
dignity. It will help me build healthy relationship with patients in future, who will feel safe.
Therefore, I can contribute towards cultural safety in health care setting.
I believe in ethical conduct as I have always observed my Hindu family and friends reap
benefits of being ethical. I also do believe in non-judgmental attitude. Both the beliefs will help
me adapt to the cultural interactions in the health care setting and promote safety and quality
care. Owing to my values and beliefs, I can well recognise and respect the patent’s rights. I will
be honest in my work and respect the patient’s dignity. It will contribute to high quality care

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when confronted with patient’s cultural values and beliefs that are different from mine. My
beliefs are in alignment with the NMBA standards for registered nurses on practising within the
code of ethics and conduct (NMBA Code of ethics, 2018, NMBA code of conduct, 2018).
Nursing is the most honest and ethical profession. Therefore, patients trust nurses for their safety.
Therefore, my ethical behaviour will help me contribute to the culturally safe care. I can continue
my profession without any discrimination, as I believe in protecting patient’s rights while
maintaining privacy and confidentiality.
I have compassion for people and love to care for elders and those in need. These are the
very essence of nursing (Bramley & Matiti, 2014). I am passionate about nursing. I would use
my knowledge and skills to help sick people, who are unable to help themselves irrespective of
their background. Nurses must be empathetic to share the distress of the patient and act with
compassion and kindness towards them (Paley, 2014). With values of compassion and kindness I
can listen to patents, involve them in decision-making, and it will make them safe and improve
their experience.
My belief of gender equality may detract me from being a culturally safe practitioner. I
consider this to be the fundamental human right. However, gender discrimination is highly
prevalent in certain cultural practices. In some cultures, the women have poor access to
reproductive health services (Namasivayam et al., 2012). I need to improve in this area and
develop strategies to handle challenges pertaining to harmful traditional values. In case of
failure, my cultural values of persistence would come to aid. According to Shea (2015), the key
to nursing success is the professional persistence. Persistence is considered to be the backbone of
nursing. Also avoiding discrimination may detract me from being culturally safe practitioner. I
am not aware of the needs, lived experiences, and expectations of physically and mentally

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disabled persons. To improve on this area, I must be aware of the existence of the “Disability
Discrimination Act” and what it implies for health-care delivery. Only then I can care for
immigrant parents of children with disabilities (King et al., 2015).
Based on reflection on my cultural values, beliefs and behaviours I have recognised
areas that may contribute my personal growth as culturally safe practitioner. My family and
society have shaped my beliefs and values that make me competent to work in culturally diverse
workplace. The nursing code of practices and standards for nurses in Australia is centred on
respecting other people’s values and beliefs. However, there are areas where I must improve. I
believe that promoting culturally safe care is no single step process. It requires dedication and
persistence. It is the continuous learning process through education and personal experience. In
conclusion, cultural safety is central to health care delivery. My behaviour as nurse would
demonstrate the respect to patient's irrespective of their cultural background. I will acknowledge
the patient's culture and deliver person-focused care. Thus, my multicultural awareness will
ensure positive health outcomes.

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