NURS20161 Assignment 2: Cultural Safety and Health Disparities

This assignment requires a comprehensive self-reflection on the student's cultural, social, historical, and political background, along with an analysis of economic factors influencing their life. The reflection is structured around two templates, one focusing on domestic violence and the other on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, prompting the student to examine their values, beliefs, and assumptions. The assignment delves into the social determinants of health, particularly how colonization has contributed to high rates of domestic violence among Indigenous Australians. It then explores culturally safe nursing practices, offering strategies for patient-centered care, and critically assesses potential internal biases. The assignment requires students to consider how their personal experiences and background might influence their approach to patient care, emphasizing cultural awareness, sensitivity, competence, and safety in nursing practice.

Critical Reflection Framework of Analysis Template 1
Complete the following self-reflection table about yourself.
What is your cultural background?
What is your social background?
What is your historical background?
What is your political background?
What economic factors have affected
you through your life?
Strong, traditional values of family, dedication, and
cultural appreciation
I come from a middle-class family
My ancestors are from Kerala and rest of my family
members still lives in my country.
I grew up in the southern part of India, Kerala. India is a
Democratic Republic country where every citizen has
the right to vote.
The cost of living in India is very low when compared to
Australia but it’s hard to meet daily expenses with the
nursing job wages.
How do the above affect:
What values do you hold towards
domestic violence?
What beliefs do you hold towards
domestic violence?
What assumptions do you hold towards
domestic violence?
They positively affects the values I hold towards DV
Positively
Positively
What are your family member’s
attitudes towards domestic violence?
What are your work colleagues’
attitudes towards domestic violence?
What is your own experience regarding
domestic violence?
What are the roles, expectations and
rules regarding domestic violence in
your community?
Positive
Mixture of positive (some) and negative (others)
I have experienced DV and I have known it is quite
traumatizing and stressful
Roles is that it is used to discriminate Indigenous
Australians
Expectations is that more women are likely to face DV
The rules is that it is illegal to engage in acts of DV
Theories regarding:
Victims of domestic violence: More women are victimized and fear reporting the
perpetrators

Nurses management of domestic
violence:
Some nurses have negative attitudes towards DV
victims
Considering the above self-reflection, what possible internal biases might you hold towards
patients who are victims of domestic violence?
I do not hold any internal bias towards patients who are victims of DV
Critical Reflection Framework of Analysis Template 2
Complete the following self-reflection table about yourself.
What is your cultural background?
What is your social background?
What is your historical background?
What is your political background?
What economic factors have affected
you through your life?
Strong, traditional values of family, dedication, and
cultural appreciation
I come from a middle-class family
My ancestors are from Kerala and rest of my family
members still lives in my country.
I grew up in the southern part of India, Kerala. India is a
Democratic Republic country where every citizen has
the right to vote.
The cost of living in India is very low when compared to
Australia but it’s hard to meet daily expenses with the
nursing job wages.
How do the above affect:
The values you hold regarding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
People?
The beliefs do you hold towards
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
People?
What assumptions do you hold towards
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
People?
Positively
Positively
Positively
What are your family member’s
attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander People?
What are your work colleagues’
attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander People?
What is your own experience regarding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Positive
Positive and negative
Positive

People?
What are the roles, expectations and
rules regarding Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander People in your
community?
Roles is that it is used to discriminate Indigenous
Australians
Expectations is that more women are likely to face DV
The rules is that it is illegal to engage in acts of DV
Formal theories regarding:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
People:
Nurses management of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander People:
Assimilation Policy caused increased DV rates
Need for cultural safety approaches
Considering the above self-reflection, what possible internal biases might you hold towards
people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
No internal bias towards people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
Social Determinants of Health Template
Domestic violence is responsible for more ill-health and premature death of Australian women
under the age of 45 than any other well-known risk factors, including high blood pressure, obesity
and smoking (). Aboriginal women are xx times more likely to be victims of domestic violence
than other Australians.
How has colonisation contributed to these high rates of domestic violence. In your answer
consider the colonising act, social determinants of health and health outcomes.
Colonising act Social Determinant of Health Health outcome
Abducted Aboriginal children Social class Poor health and wellbeing
Land dispossession Poverty Poor health and wellbeing
Identity loss Increased DV Poor health and wellbeing
Kinship system breakdown Increased DV Poor health and wellbeing
Aboriginal Law breakdown Increased DV Poor health and wellbeing
Cultural erosion/language ban Trauma Poor health and wellbeing
Culturally Safe Practice Template:
How could you demonstrate culturally safe, patient-centred nursing practice for a patient who
identifies as Indigenous and who discloses a history of domestic violence.
Nurse Practice
Cultural Awareness Recognize existence of other cultures, Aboriginal cultures and
identity
Cultural Sensitivity Adapting the values of Aboriginals while still respecting my
values
Cultural Competence Become effective communicator across cultural boundaries e.g.

speaking effectively with Aboriginals
Cultural Safety Creating environment that allows recipient (Aboriginals) to say
whether the service I provide is satisfactory or not