Assignment: Cultural Safety Essay

Task description:

The vision of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023 is:

"The Australian health system is free of racism and inequality and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have access to health services that are effective, high quality, appropriate and affordable" (Australian Government, 2013, p. 7).

For health professionals to be effective agents in realising this vision they are required to be culturally safe practitioners, who are literate in the dynamics of race and racism and their impacts on well-being.

Furthermore, health professionals must be knowledgeable of the historical and political influences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' well-being.

This reflective assignment requires you to first demonstrate your understanding of the key concepts associated with cultural safety, and then apply them to context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and well-being.

In this assessment you will be required to utilise the 5Rs Reflection Framework to discuss changes in your thoughts and feelings throughout the initial learning process. Furthermore, discuss the application of culturally safety to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and well-being context from a profession and individual perspective.

Learning outcomes

1. Apply the principles of cultural safety to the context of Aboriginal assessed: peoples and Torres Strait Islanders' health and well-being to analyse and advance your current position on the continuum of cultural safety.

2. Describe historical, social, and political issues and how they inform current experiences of health and well-being, in order to realise their significance as determinants of current health and well-being of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders.

3. Discover the everyday experiences of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders that inform their health care and apply this knowledge to facilitate effective partnerships with individuals, families, and communities.

What you need to do: Respond to the follow assessment tasks:

Step 1

Demonstrate your understanding of the following concepts:

a) Compare and contrast personal racism and systemic/institutional racism (200 words).

b) Briefly discuss the power dynamics associated with the whiteness of nursing (100 words).

c) Compare and contrast cultural safety and cultural awareness training (200 words).

Step 2 (100 words)

In accordance with the 5Rs of Reflection Framework, report and respond to one (1) assumption that you became aware of through developing new knowledge and understanding from the readings, learning activities and reflective process.

Step 3 (400 words)

Discuss historical (including political) factors that contributed to institutional racism and white privilege, particularly in regards to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' access to health care, education and employment.

Step 4 (300 words)

Discuss how culturally safe nursing practice may challenge personal and institutional racism that impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' access to health care.

Step 5 (500 words)

In accordance with the 5Rs of Reflection Framework, reflect on your reactions (feeling and thoughts) to the learning materials (required and recommended readings, videos, lectures and tutorial material). Report, respond, relate, reason and reconstruct your perception of:

a) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being; (250 words).
b) your role in ensuring cultural safe nursing care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (250 words).

Length: 1800 words +/-10% (word length includes in-text referencing and excludes your reference list and appendices).

Presentation requirements: Your responses to the assessment tasks must adhere to the prescribed formatting.

Format of assignment: Your assignment should be written in first-person style and prepared as follows:

• Has a cover sheet with the assessment title, your name, student number, tutor name and total word count. Coversheet template is recommended and available on your Blackboard site.

• Include a ‘footer' on each page with your name, student number, unit code and page number.

• 3cm margins on all sides, and double-spaced text.

• Times New Roman, font size 12.

• APA style referencing

• Include a complete reference list on a new page.

• Headings can be used for each step.

• Include the word count for each step.