Cultural safety

In New Zealand, cultural safety is the effective nursing practice of a person or family from another culture that is determined by that person or family. Its origins are in nursing education and a culture can range anywhere from age or generation, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, religious beliefs, or even disabilities. An unsafe cultural practice is an action that demeans the cultural identity of a particular person or family. Cultural safety also has four different principles. The first one aims to improve health status and well-being of New Zealanders because the concept originated in New Zealand; on the other hand, the second one improves the delivery of health services. The third one focuses on the differences among the people who are being treated and accepting those differences. The fourth principle focuses on understanding the power of health services and how health care impacts individuals and families. In New Zealand, cultural safety is the effective nursing practice of a person or family from another culture that is determined by that person or family. Its origins are in nursing education and a culture can range anywhere from age or generation, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, religious beliefs, or even disabilities. An unsafe cultural practice is an action that demeans the cultural identity of a particular person or family. Cultural safety also has four different principles. The first one aims to improve health status and well-being of New Zealanders because the concept originated in New Zealand; on the other hand, the second one improves the delivery of health services. The third one focuses on the differences among the people who are being treated and accepting those differences. The fourth principle focuses on understanding the power of health services and how health care impacts individuals and families. Cultural Safety has its origins in the field of nursing education. The concept originated at a nursing leadership hui in 1989 after concerns were raised by Māori nursing students about the safety of Māori students in monocultural nursing schools and of Māori intellectual property when taught by tauiwi. Cultural safety is met through actions which recognise, respect, and nurture the unique cultural identity of a patient. Effective practice for a person from another culture is determined by that person or family. Culture includes, but is not restricted to, age or generation; gender; sexual orientation; occupation and socio-economic status; ethnic origin or migrant experience; religious or spiritual beliefs; and disability. Unsafe cultural practice comprises any action which diminishes, demeans or disempowers the cultural identity and wellbeing of an individual. Cultural safety aims to improve the health status and wellbeing of New Zealanders and applies to all relationships through:1) an emphasis on health gains and positive health and wellbeing outcomes;2) acknowledging the beliefs and practices of those who differ from them. For example, this may be by: age or generation, gender, sexual orientation, occupation and socio-economic status, ethnic origin or migrant experience, religious or spiritual belief, disability Cultural safety aims to enhance the delivery of health services through a culturally safe workforce by:1) identifying the power relationship between the service provider and the people who use the service. The health care provider accepts and works alongside others after undergoing a careful process of institutional and personal analysis of power relationships;2) empowering the users of the service. People should be able to express degrees of perceived risk or safety. For example, someone who feels unsafe may not be able to take full advantage of a service offered and may subsequently require more intrusive and serious intervention;3) preparing health care providers to understand the diversity within their own cultural reality and the impact of that on any person who differs in any way from themselves;4) applying social science concepts that underpin the practice of health care. Health care practice is more than carrying out tasks. It is about relating and responding effectively to people with diverse needs and strengths in a way that the people who use the service can define as safe