Introduction
The sphere of healthcare is directly related to interpersonal relationships where cultural considerations play a very influential role. As a healthcare provider, a nurse must understand that their culture determines how they diagnose, communicate with patients and how effectively they can deliver culture-sensitive services to diverse populations. In New Zealand, the population is characterized by bi-cultural features and requires being served accordingly. Cultural safety is one of the priorities in the sphere of nursing that embodies respect to the values of others and avoidance of cultural conflicts. Cultural safety considerations are of particular importance in the sphere of healthcare in New Zealand that allows for meeting the health goals of all New Zealanders by means of competent nursing.
Cultural Safety in Nursing Practice
The concept of cultural safety is broad and includes the understanding of the cultural background of both the served population of patients and healthcare providers. Moreover, the core of cultural safety in nursing is in the ability of patients to comment on the services they obtain in terms of cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2011). Thus, cultural safety is defined as “the effective nursing practice of a person or family from another culture and is determined by that person or family” (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2011, p. 7). Within the realm of nursing practice, cultural safety derives from cultural education and deals with the adherence to the main principles of conduct and competencies presented by the Nursing Council (Banks & Kelly, 2015). Indeed, the cultural safety principles articulated by the Nursing Council (2011) include the continuous improvement of the health of New Zealanders and enhancing health services through the culturally safe nursing staff. Also, the principles imply a broad application of competencies in a diverse society and the understanding of nurses’ cultural characteristics as mediators for qualified service.
Bi-Cultural Relationship in Nursing
With the emergence of extensive colonisation of Australia and New Zealand, the issues of racism and inequality became dominant in multiple spheres of people’s lives. The indigenous people of New Zealand, Maori people, have a particular status in the healthcare system of the country (Wepa, 2015). The guidelines of the documented concern entitled Maori Health identifies the priorities of bicultural healthcare with the emphasis on the needs of Maori people. Due to the fact that these people have had negative experiences during the times of colonisation, their current health status is determined by an array of unmet needs (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2011). The long-term oppression of Maori culture and language has caused health disparities that now require immediate action through nursing practice. Thus, a bicultural relationship in New Zealand nursing is a concept that ensures that the health needs of Maori as indigenous people are given rightful and equal consideration under the rules of the relevant legislature (Wepa, 2015). To ensure the provision of bicultural relationships in healthcare provision, the nursing workforce needs to expand its expertise beyond mere cultural knowledge and implement culturally safe services for all New Zealanders.
Summary of Literature on Self-Awareness in Culturally Safe Nursing Practice
Since the issues of cultural safety in nursing have a significant place in the modern-day New Zealand scholarly and professional literature, this concept is broadly addressed. As it has been stated, cultural safety may be implemented by combining cultural sensitivity and awareness with regards to nurses’ personal cultural beliefs. Indeed, to identify cultural particularities in clients, nurses need to be able to reflect on their own cultural realities and manage them according to the provision of competent conduct (Banks & Kelly, 2015). In such a manner, the nursing workforce is expected to conceptualise culture as a set of political, social and historical issues that impact people’s health, as well as their own beliefs about health. Consequently, they will be flexible in service delivery with respect to particular culture-specific needs of their patients and cultivate emotional intelligence as a core of their practice (Banks & Kelly, 2015; Hughes, 2018). Nursing Council of New Zealand (2011) also identified self-awareness in a culturally diverse society as a stepping stone in competent healthcare. Thus, it is crucial for healthcare workers to develop a comprehensive image of their cultural realities to maintain high-quality services under the guidance of the current legislature.
In the current population context of New Zealand and Australia, the unbiased understanding of diversity is comprised of the collective perception of each individual as a part of a bicultural society. Cox and Taua (2016) state that self-awareness and self-reflection within a cultural context contribute to the understanding of the complexity of cultural identity and allows for achieving a higher level of cultural sensitivity. Within the practical realm, the projecting of one’s personal identity on patients allows for seeing people from the perspective of how they need to be treated rather than how they are different (Cox & Taua, 2016). It is important to follow the guidelines and exercise self-awareness to become a competent nurse in a bicultural environment.
Summary of Literature on Diversity in Culturally Safe Nursing Practice
Diversity is a broadly addressed concept that is gaining more and more attention in various spheres on a global scale. Due to the wide-spread institutional racism as a way of diminishing the rights of minorities, the health needs of indigenous peoples are insufficiently met. Culturally safe nursing is directly linked to the understanding of diversity in the population and is arranged around the principles of equal treatment and recognition of values of diverse groups (Cox & Taua, 2017). As Cox and Taua (2017) state, nurses need to understand the basics of “concepts such as culture, class, whiteness/race/racism and ethnicity” to provide the best healthcare (p. 265). All the differences in people’s backgrounds constitute diversity, which must be implemented in communication with patients.
Multifaceted characteristics of the diverse society are closely linked with colonisation-imposed inequalities. To eliminate them and ensure that each individual is treated with equal professionalism and a dignified attitude, nurses must facilitate their skills and competencies in dealing with various aspects of culture. For example, health and religious considerations are interlinked and require specific addressing. Spiritual values of Maori have been impacted by the Christian colonisation and now need to be incorporated into the culturally safe nursing practice (Wepa, 2015). On a general scale, the inclusion of the concept of diversity into culturally safe nursing practice relates to the recognition of differences and the treatment of patients accordingly.
Conclusion
In summation, cultural safety in nursing practice in New Zealand is an issue of national relevance due to the bicultural characteristics of society. In order to provide high-quality healthcare to diverse populations, nursing staff must comply with the guidelines for cultural safety, possess competencies of emotional intelligence and self-awareness. The recognition of cultural particularities of a diverse society defines the success of cultural safety in nursing. The application of diversity and bicultural relationships to the delivery of health care services plays a crucial role since nurses need to provide equal service to multiple groups.
References
- Banks, L., & Kelly, M. (2015). Cultural safety and the Nursing Council of New Zealand. In D. Wepa (Ed.), Cultural safety in Aotearoa New Zealand (2nd ed.) (pp. 27-47). Cambridge University Press.
- Cox, L., & Taua, C. (2016). Cultural Safety: Cultural considerations. In C. Jarvis (Ed.), Physical examination and health assessment (2nd ed.) (pp. 38-59). Elsevier Australia.
- Cox, L., & Taua, C. (2017). Understanding and applying cultural safety: Philosophy and practice of a social determinants approach. In J. Crisp, C. Douglas, G. Rebeiro, & D. Waters (Eds.), Potter & Perry’s fundamentals of nursing (5th ed.) (pp. 260-287). Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Hughes, M. (2018). Cultural safety requires ‘cultural intelligence’. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 24(6), 24-25.
- Nursing Council of New Zealand. (2011). Guidelines for cultural safety, the Treaty of Waitangi, and Maori health in nursing education and practice. Web.
- Wepa, D. (2015). Culture and ethnicity. In D. Wepa (Ed.), Cultural safety in Aotearoa New Zealand (2nd ed.) (pp. 65-78). Cambridge University Press.