Cultural Safety

1. Cultural Safety Kathleen Martin

2. What is Cultural Safety • It is a term used to describe a way of working with people of different cultural backgrounds that does not diminish, demean or disempower someone (Nursing Council of New Zealand 2009). • Aperson should feel safe to talk about their own unique world views and cultural values without feeling less important than others. Cultural safety is a way of working rather than specific knowledge about cultures.

3. Cultural Safety

4. What is Cultural Safety? “Cultural Safety is defined as our understanding of our own personal culture and the way in which these personal cultural values can affect the way we interact within our new culture. This is not only about knowing how to protect the cultural rights of another person, but also about ensuring that we feel safe when operating outside the comfort zone of our own cultural norms”. (Franklin, 2017)

5. Process for Achieving Cultural Safety • Cultural Awareness • Cultural Sensitivity • Cultural Safety

6. Cultural Safety Principles • Stand back, be quiet, listen, hear and wait. • Get to know the local community. • Be respectful at all times. • Find a local cultural mentor for advice and guidance. • Have an open heart. • Don’t assume you know because you are experienced. 7. Communication in practice is king. 8. Don’t participate in racist behaviour. 9. Learn to laugh at yourself and with others. 10. The health status. 11. Community control. 12. Be cognisant of the cycle of staffing. (Janie Dade Smith, 2007, pg. 69-71)

7. Cultural Safety Principles • To reflect on your own practice is a critical aspect of cultural safety practice. • Need to minimise the power differentials between yourself and your clients • Engage in a conversation with the client to learn a bit about them. • Undertake a process of decolonisation. • Ensure that you do not diminish, demean or disempower others through your actions. (Taylor & Geurin, 2010. pg 15)

8. To improve service delivery and outcomes, providers should know the client’s cultural views on: • Role of family (roles of members, hierarchy, key decision-maker) • Role of community • Religion (impact on diet, beliefs about illness, treatment) • Views on health and wellness • Views on death and dying • Eastern/western/alternative/traditional medicine. • Beliefs about causes and treatments of illness, disease (physical and mental) • Gender roles and relationships • Sexuality, fertility, childbirth • Food beliefs and diet http://www.callearning.com/blog/2012/07/10-cultural-factors-that-influence-health-care/

9. What can I do to be culturally safe? • Understand that the values and beliefs of the dominant culture shape the practice and attitudes of the individual and service provider. • Critical self-reflection – of the individuals on their practice. Thinking about an incident that has happened, did it have a good or bad outcome, how I handled it, what I should have done, what can I do next time to ensure a good outcome? • Understanding the impact of colonisation and dispossession, and the historical and ongoing effects in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s everyday lives. (Council of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, 2017)

10. What can I do to be culturally safe? • Learning that cultural safety is the experience of the recipient of care or service, it’s not defined by the service provider. • Build relationships with your Aboriginal Colleagues and Elders. Watch, Listen and ask for guidance. These people are the real experts in their communities, not you. • Exploring racism within the organisation and individually. Do not participate in racism. (Council of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, 2017)

11. Centre for Remote Health • Contact Details • Email: crh@flinders.edu.au • Web: http://www.crh.org.au • Phone: +61 8 8951 4700 • Post: PO Box 4066 Alice Springs NT 0871 Australia • Visit: Corner of Simpson St and Skinner St, Alice Springs • A joint centre of • Flinders University and Charles Darwin University