Cultural considerations in emergency care

This chapter orients healthcare workers to the importance of culture as a factor that can influence individuals' experience, and the outcomes, of healthcare. The chapter aims to assist healthcare workers gain an insight into, and appreciation of, some of the issues, concerns and needs of people who belong to the cultural (often) minority groups in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Healthcare workers meet and work with people from diverse cultural and social groups that may be different from the healthcare worker's own. As a result, healthcare workers must develop and continually build their knowledge and skills in working with cultural differences to provide safe, effective and culturally sensitive care. In this chapter, 'healthcare workers' refers to pre-hospital workers, paramedical and ambulance personnel, assistive caregivers, and nurses who work with and care for people and their families in the community, and in the hospital emergency and acute care setting.