Culturally safe health care practice

In this chapter students begin to link their previous understandings to practical outcomes and goals. The chapter highlights how an ongoing, lifelong process of self-reflection and critical thinking enables the principles of cultural safety (as described in Chapters 4 and 5) to be translated into healthcare practice. Students will be given the opportunity to explore what it means to embed the principles of cultural safety in individual healthcare practice, organisational policy and processes and healthcare systems. This chapter will therefore include practical and applied approaches to working with diverse populations that highlight the importance of client-centred and flexible approaches. Students will explore the relevance and place of partnerships and advocacy in their health profession and careers. Case studies will provide students with opportunities to assess cultural safety in themselves, healthcare environments and systems. Students will also engage with multimedia in order to enhance their understandings of the process of acquiring and developing cultural safety as a lifelong journey and undertake activities to assist them in identifying the areas where they require further work.