University Healthcare Case Study: Indigenous Well-being and Practices

This case study explores the multifaceted aspects of Indigenous well-being within the healthcare system. It begins by examining key themes from a program, including the impact of colonization, discrimination, and the establishment of community. The analysis then delves into the experiences of Indigenous people in healthcare, highlighting instances of racism and inadequate treatment. The study emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity, effective communication, and culturally appropriate care to address the specific needs of Indigenous patients. The assignment also offers insights into the role of healthcare professionals in promoting a culturally safe environment, including the need for understanding cultural backgrounds, effective communication strategies, and the integration of traditional treatment practices. The case study concludes by outlining specific practices for providing culturally sensitive care within a hospital setting, such as considering patients' cultural backgrounds, fostering effective communication, providing health education, and offering culturally delicate treatment procedures.

Running head: INDIGENOUS WELL-BEING
INDIGENOUS WELL-BEING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1INDIGENOUS WELL-BEING
PART-1
1) The principal themes in the program are as follows (YouTube, 2019):
 The concept of first Australians who were under the verge of extinction.
 The establishment of Victorian parliament house. In the ancient time Victoria
consisted of 36 clans with independent language and territory and considered as the
most populated region of Australia.
 Set-up of independent community in Coranderrk, Wonger was the leader of the
associated clans that helped people to get shelter and settle within the community.
 The people who migrated and came to Coranderrk were happy and learned to grow
their lands and work with right people to be successful.
 The development of migrated people into living like white people and establishment
of protection board that will help Coranderrk to develop and control their activities
that helped first Australian to reside on 1% of their original land (Tesfaghiorghis,
2018).
 Discrimination between the first Australian (Aboriginals) and white people and
migration of aboriginal people from Coranderrk to Melbourne.
2) The indigenous people who had migrated and settled in Coranderrk were happy and
satisfied. They were improving and developing within the area as other clan had also joined
and helped the first Australian or indigenous people to grow and adapt themselves as white
people. Colonization and the development of protection board had helped them to create a
lucrative industry of harvesting crop to produce beer. The people filled their field and hops
plantation. The concept of colonization in this program had negative influence also as the
members of the protection board had sell the hop plantation and no hospital was made.
Development of half caste Act due to colonization helped the first Australian who had any

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white ancestor and were under 34 years of age will not be considered as Aboriginal and are
removed from any reservation. The influence of colonization had negative influence on
aboriginal health as they were forced to move from their original land and shift to lake tires
were people were dying and were disappointed (YouTube, 2019).
3) From the program it was clearly observed that the aboriginal people were communicating
and sharing more information with the non-indigenous people regarding various government
initiatives and policy. They were also exchanging their thoughts and point of view regarding
the culture and activities of aboriginal population. The large population of people who were
from different background and society were included in the video that was the one of the
most interesting element that stood out in the entire program. The cultural gap was reducing
and people were communicating more frequently and were also interested in knowing the
background of the other people as a small piece of this interaction was visible in the program
that existed between indigenous and non-indigenous population (ABC iview, 2019).
4) The aboriginal people were never considered as the white people even though their
ancestors do existed in the land of white people that was considered as the original land of
aboriginal population, they were always excluded and had no privilege to grow but after
colonization they developed and created their own clan. After watching the program the way
aboriginal patient were treated was completely changed as they were considered the most
underprivileged population with no supply of fresh clean water (Hole et al., 2015). They had
to face major drawback while treatments as the government had charged various rules and
regulation that had to be followed by them as nothing was included free for them. They had
to pay huge amount of money for treatments hence, deteriorating the condition of aboriginal
patients (ABC iview, 2019).

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5) As the healthcare professionals it is very important to treat every patient irrespective of
their colour, caste and creed. In this program it was clearly evident that aboriginal people
were highly ignored and excluded from healthcare services, where the healthcare
professionals were not treating the patient who were aboriginal and this system strongly
existed within the entire healthcare organisation (Macniven et al., 2019). As a future
healthcare professional, I will completely ignore and avoid the problem of racism, mental and
physical abuse and will not be bias for the indigenous and non-indigenous people and will
focus to provide best treatment irrespective of any race, caste and creed (Radio National,
2019).
Answer 6) In the provided resource a case of institutionalised or casual racism was discussed
as one the participant had mentioned that his uncle did not received any proper or effective
treatment. His uncle was suffering from Huntington’s disease but because he was dark in
complexion or considered black and belong to the aboriginal population, he did not receive
treatment and the care giver denied to look after his uncle and did not consider this situation
as a matter of concern because of which his uncle’s hip was broken (Radio National, 2019).
7) From the readings of Yatadjuligin it was evident that the nurses lacked effective
engagement with the aboriginal people and identified four crucial factors that were essential
to establish effective engagement of healthcare professionals and aboriginal people such as
readiness of the nurse to practice culturally safe methods, ability of the nurse to communicate
and listen properly, adequate knowledge of the nurse regarding indigenous health care system
and enhanced acceptance level of the nurse in the indigenous community (Cusack, 2019).
Overcoming the social and cultural barrier in the healthcare system is very important to be a
successful healthcare professional. Hence, the key messages that is important to be successful
healthcare professional include effective acceptance of cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity
and cultural safety. Adopting a cultural safe exercise that requires interest and flexibility in

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order to explore the needs of the patient and provide best care to treat the patient (kelaher et
al., 2017).

5INDIGENOUS WELL-BEING
PART-2
The concern of developing a culturally protective environment is a serious matter of
concern in any workplace. In hospital setting, a culturally protective environment is very
crucial to provide best quality of care to the sufferers or patient. In the provided case study, it
highlights an aboriginal 58 years old man who had diabetes and was admitted in the intensive
care department in one of the main urban hospital within the city. The four culturally
appropriate care that can be offered to the patient in order to keep him culturally safe within
the hospital surrounding are as follows (Hall & Wilkes, 2015):
 For the patient who was 58 years old and belong to aboriginal culture, the nurse in the
emergency department should consider the cultural and historical background of the
patient. The knowledge of his culture and background will help the nurse to
understand the nature or personality of the patient. the primary step towards culturally
protective environment is to build and maintain a good relationship with the admitted
patient as good bond will help the patient to open up to the nurse and can freely
discuss his concern or problem (Hunt et al., 2015). The patient will tend to feel
comfortable and will voluntary participate in the communication activity with the
nurse to provide them with information that is necessary for the nurse to initiate and
commence his treatment. Hence, a detail knowledge about patient’s background and
culture is important to establish a good rapport with the patient by discussing about
his family members, friends and close relatives that will help the patient to build bond
with the nurse and treat the patient effectively by understanding his condition and the
activities he like or dislikes the most so that the patient is fully satisfied with the
treatment approach (Perston et al., 2017). The nurse must adopt a non-threatening
way of speaking and try to be as polite as possible that will motivate the patient to

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share more information regarding his health condition and the patient will tend to feel
more comfortable and relaxed and will develop the positive hope of recovery.
 The second important culturally protective environment practice will be effective
communication. The nurse or healthcare provider must develop and concentrate on
the patient by communicating with the patient as efficiently as possible. The increased
communication strategy will help the nurse to deliver best culturally protective
environment as the nurse will communicate and discuss more with the patient
therefore helping the patient to gain knowledge on his health condition, the factors
that resulted in his condition, the symptom of his condition and the precaution
strategy that will help him to overcome or recover from his health issue (Brown et al.,
2016). The nurse will pay a close attention to the language of the patient that the
patient is most comfortable in and through which the healthcare professional can
explain him regarding the treatment approach and therefore communicate effectively.
Any language barrier can lead to a great hurdle in the treatment process of the patient
as the patient and nurse cannot communicate and the patient is unable to discuss his
concern with the healthcare provider and nurse. In case of the patient who was
aboriginal, an effective communication will help the patient to carefully understand
and follow the instruction of the nurse that is very crucial for fast recovery of the
patient (Smith et al., 2015). The aboriginal patient speak in a different language that
will be difficult for the nurse to understand and interpret hence, the hospital setting
should include language interpreter that would decrease the language barrier between
the patient and the nurse.
 Thirdly, the healthcare provider and nurse must concentrate and focus on the effective
well-being education or health education of the patient. It is usually observed that the
indigenous people lack effective education and knowledge concerned with any

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healthcare process and have never gained enough education connected to their health
protection method. The aboriginal people also carry a lot of cultural beliefs that
misleads them regarding their health condition and they tend to ignore their health and
get misguided to their wrong beliefs. Hence, it is considered as the primary duty of
the nurse or the health care supplier to effectively educate and provide sufficient
knowledge to the indigenous or aboriginal people concerned with the procedure of
effective diabetes management (Fernando & Bennett, 2019). The diabetic patient have
to follow lot of procedure and activities in order to maintain their blood glucose level
as normal hence making the treatment process of diabetes management easy for both
the health care suppliers, nurse as well as the patient. Though, the health care supplier
and nurse deliver effective health education and knowledge to the indigenous patient,
they should consider and be aware of the cultural knowledge and beliefs of the
admitted patient and they must focus on their method of education so that they avoid
any kind of miscommunication or the sentiments of the patient is not violated or hurt
(Kelaher et al., 2017).
 The final and most important cultural protective environment that will protect the
patient within the hospital location is that the health care supplier and nurse should
focus and concentrate on providing a culturally delicate treatment procedure to the
aboriginal patient. In this delicate treatment procedure the health care supplier and
nurse must include different techniques of mindful communication between the
patient and the healthcare provider, effective involvement of friends and family
members that will support the patient to get well soon, presenting respect and
admiration to the aboriginal patient that will help the patient to feel motivate and
involve themselves in fast recovery process (Gilbert & Tillman, 2017). The healthcare
providers and nurse must take part and involve in the old or traditional procedure of

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treatment of the indigenous patient that will develop a sense relief and betterment
within the patient that results in a comfortable hospital setting hence protecting the
patient by using various culturally protective environment. The nurse should involve
in effective communication with the patient where the nurse will develop the habit to
listen to the patient and understand his concern and problems. This method will
develop a sense of confidence within the patient as the patient will know that the
nurse is giving appropriate time and importance to the problem of patient and also
listen to his opinions and concerns (Yeung, 2016).

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References
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https://iview.abc.net.au/show/you-can-t-ask-that/series/1/video/LE1517H008S00
Brown, A. E., Middleton, P. F., Fereday, J. A., & Pincombe, J. I. (2016). Cultural safety and
midwifery care for Aboriginal women–a phenomenological study. Women and Birth,
29(2), 196-202.
Cusack, L. (2019). Culturally safe midwifery practice: Working in partnership with
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