Analyzing Racism in Healthcare: A Cultural Competence Approach

This essay addresses the critical issue of racism within the Australian healthcare system, particularly its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Written from the perspective of a registered nurse, it highlights the disparities in healthcare access and outcomes stemming from institutional racism and individual ethnocentrism. The essay reflects on the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, attributing it to historical factors, government policies, and ongoing discrimination. It emphasizes the need for racial equity and the elimination of unequal resource allocation. The analysis delves into the roots of racism, linking it to colonization and biased stereotypes. The conclusion underscores the failures of current strategies and calls for subsidized treatment for serious illnesses. The essay proposes an action plan based on Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing model to promote cultural competence and bridge the healthcare gap, advocating for culturally sensitive care to improve health equity for all Australians. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: RACISM
1
Racism
Student by (Name)
Institutions

RACISM
2
Description
Key issue: Racism
The issue of cultural disparities in Australia has been a challenge more so about racism. I
approach the issue of racism as a registered nurse having a keen interest in cultural competencies
in healthcare. I am a non-aboriginal citizen who is interested in racism which has over the past
resulted in marginalization and vulnerability of the aboriginal Australians in respect to health
care (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2015). The original Australians community is
one of the community who suffers from marginalization based on racism. Since I got into the
nursing field, I have observed both successful and unsuccessful demonstrations of cultural
competence about racism. With my keen observation and my keen interest in cultural
competence as a nurse, I came to realize that the healthcare system of Australia is currently
influenced by institutional racism as indictedin module.
Based on the observations I have been making in the field of the healthcare system, I can
conclude that there is institutional racism as well as individual ethnocentrism which is embedded
in Australian healthcare institutions (Smith, Fatima & Knight, 2017). There is perpetuated
stereotypes, negative attitudes as well as behaviors related to culturally and vulnerable aboriginal
communities. As non-indigenous Australian, I feel that there are various flavors I enjoy in
comparison to aboriginal Australians based on my skin color. Various aboriginal Australians has
got limited access to healthcare services which puts me in a better place. With the existing

RACISM
3
benefits I can get in the healthcare sector compared to the aboriginals, I think that I can live ten
years longer compared to aboriginal Australians.
Feeling
Yes, being a non-indigenous Australian I can statistically live ten to fifteen years longer
compared to aboriginal Australians (Gair, Miles, Savage & Zuchowski, 2015). However, I don’t
have a good feeling towards the existing life gap expectancy among people living within one
nation as a result of racism and ethnocentrism. This is equity which should be eliminated through
implementation of strict healthcare interventional and observation of human right. It is not
appropriate that non-indigenous Australians are being offered various healthcare options and
high level of treatment and appropriate superior healthcare compared to the aboriginals. The
issue of racism affects the healthcare system, and I feel that this issue should change based on the
damaging effects on health. I am not feeling good that production, access, and control of various
resources are directed towards advantaging a specific group of people living in the same country
(Harris, Tobias, Jeffreys, Waldegrave, Karlsen & Nazroo, 2016). The available resources in
healthcare should be used towards the safer of every individual Australian regardless of the race
or ethnic background.
Evaluation
The issue of racial disparity in healthcare should be viewed evaluated in the context of
racial equity and inequalities within the social institutions such as hospitals. Various sources
indicate that majority of aboriginal and non-aboriginals Australians believe that racism has a
great challenge in healthcare and this is not fair. The issue of equity and inequality is also evident

RACISM
4
in various online student activities (Smith, Fatima & Knight, 2017). Non-aboriginals pay taxes
just the aboriginal Australians thus should be treated equally to the aboriginals. The issue of
racism within the Australian society is one of the most challenging social issues in the nation
where various institutions dictate on who to live longer than the other based on their skin color. It
is so unfair to use to the available resources, rules, and policies in favor of one group while
limited the resources when it comes to other groups of people. I have a strong feeling that
inequity should not be within the healthcare sector thus should be limited through all available
mechanisms.
Analysis
Why is there an existing gap of 10-15 years between aboriginals and non-aboriginal
communities even though both live in the same country? To answer this question, the source or
the course of existing disparity can be viewed from various angles (Macdonald, 2015).
According to the research I have done on previous studies in regards the issue of racism in the
healthcare sector, I came to realize that the existing life expectancy between us and the
aboriginals have a link to colonization, history, government policies as well as other social
determinants. I also noted from the same previous studies and reports that healthcare
discrimination is not just an aberrant lifestyle of a few non-indigenous Australians, but it is a life
factor which gets support from various institutional policies which favor specific groups of
people. The issue of racism in healthcare has support from uncurious biasness based on various
stereotypes.

RACISM
5
Moreover, racism in the healthcare sector is grounded in colonization and history.
Through my analysis of the colonization and history, I came to an understanding that various
policies, rules as well as practices currently being used in Australia were formulated by the
colonial government .The colonial structure used when Australia was colonized shaped the non-
aboriginal Australians on the way things within the society should be manipulated to their
advantage (Slade, Philip & Morris, 2018). The issue of racism affecting the health sector is major
as result of whites using the colonial policies which incorporate non-aboriginal superiority and
self-entitlement.
Conclusion
As indicated above, the aboriginal community is still suffering from effects arising from
racism even with the current campaigns and the Aboriginal Community controlled health
services (ACCHS). The established ACCHS was meant to take care of the poor health service
provision to the indigenous Australians (Almutairi, Dahinten & Rodney, 2015). The aboriginals
are still experiencing failure about healthcare which as result of racism indicating the inability of
the current ACCHS strategies and racism campaign failure. I noticed that racism still exists with
the mainstream health care providers as a result of a problem in funding and coverage of serious
illnesses. The government should, therefore, come up with a way of subsidizing treatment related
to serious illnesses instead of just providing professional training for healthcare providers.
Action plan
I have learned a lot about cultural competence and the existing racism which is currently
affecting healthcare provision for the aboriginal community. As a registered nurse, in have

RACISM
6
developed various skills related to cultural competency that I will use to provide appropriate
health care services which will meet the diverse Australian cultural believes and practices. I will
apply the Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing model in my daily practice to become
transcultural competent and meet the needs of different Australians in need of healthcare services
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2015). The application of this model will allow me
various skills which in turn will help reduce the existing racism in Australian healthcare services
sector. Application of various trans-cultural skills in nursing is crucial in reducing the existing
gap in the life of Australian aboriginals and non-aboriginals. As a nurse, I will ensure that I know
aboriginal Australians to provide appropriate care and bridge the existing life expectancy gap
currently existing in the country as a result of racism and ethnic discrimination in the healthcare
sector as prescribed within the module.
References
Almutairi, A. F., Dahinten, V. S., & Rodney, P. (2015). Almutairi's Critical Cultural Competence
model for a multicultural healthcare environment. Nursing inquiry, 22(4), 317-325.
Gair, S., Miles, D., Savage, D., & Zuchowski, I. (2015). Racism unmasked: The experiences of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in social work field placements. Australian
Social Work, 68(1), 32-48.

RACISM
7
Harris, R., Tobias, M., Jeffreys, M., Waldegrave, K., Karlsen, S., & Nazroo, J. (2016). Racism
and health: The relationship between experience of racial discrimination and health in
New Zealand. Social science & medicine, 63(6), 1428-1441.
Macdonald, D. (2015). The experiences of midwives and nurses collaborating to provide birthing
care: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2015) ‘Supervision guidelines for nursing and
midwifery.
Retrieved 25 September 2015’, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-
andEndorsement/reentry-to-practice.aspx
Slade, S. C., Philip, K., & Morris, M. E. (2018). Frameworks for embedding a research culture in
allied health practice: a rapid review. Health research policy and systems, 16(1), 29.
Smith, K., Fatima, Y., & Knight, S. (2017). Are primary healthcare services culturally
appropriate for Aboriginal people? Findings from a remote community. Australian
journal of primary health, 23(3), 236-242.