NURS1008 Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety

This topic is designed to enhance nursing students' understanding and awareness of the health of Indigenous Australian peoples from historical and contemporary perspectives within a framework of cultural safety.

It examines how Indigenous health is currently addressed within the Australian health system. Students will explore their personal and professional conceptualizations of health and compare, contrast and reflect on those ideas in relation to the ways that colonisation impacted and continues to impact on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians through cultural, political and socio-economic circumstances.

Students will critically examine the concept of cultural safety as it relates to health and nursing practice. Students will begin to develop a critical understanding of health inequities and the impacts of racism and discrimination on health and illness. The relevance of traditional healthcare practices and primary health care principles to nursing practice will also be examined.

This topic aims to enhance students' understanding and awareness of the health of Indigenous Australians within a framework of cultural safety for critical reflection on practice.

1. Critically analyse colonisation, racism, discrimination and the historical and contemporary events and policies influencing the health status of Indigenous Australians
2. Compare and contrast principles of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to mainstream health and nursing practice and reflect on the interface of Indigenous and western biomedical concepts of health and wellbeing
3. Discuss the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and articulate the importance of the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
4. Examine personal values, beliefs and prejudices that may impact on the delivery of culturally safe nursing care
5. Examine Indigenous health within a global context