Abstract:
The aim of the research was to examine nurses’ accounts of how they apply the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and cultural safety in their practice. In addition to this the research has sought to identify if there is a different understanding of cultural practice between nurses from different backgrounds, and understand how nurses assess that their practice is culturally safe, as determined by the patient. A qualitative approach was employed for this study and data were collected from 22 registered nurses through semi-structured interviews using open ended questions. Participants were assigned to four groups 1) European nurses trained before 1990 2) European nurses trained after 1990, 3) Maori nurses and 4) International Qualified Nurses. Inductive techniques were used to analyse the data collected. Four main themes and eight sub-themes emerged from the data in relation to caring for Maori patients and patients from other cultural backgrounds. Participants through their accounts demonstrated their application of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and kawa whakaruruhau when caring for Maori patients and whanau, and cultural safety when caring for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations. Some differences in practice between the participant groups emerged. From their accounts of observing colleagues in practice, participants highlighted that cultural safety was inconsistently applied in practice and marginalization of Maori still occurs within health care environments. While the results of this research affirm cultural safety as an appropriate framework to enable nurses to meet the diverse needs of patients they care for, they also indicate that further review of the cultural safety model is needed to more effectively address the needs of Maori patients and patients from CALD backgrounds. It is also recommended that the cultural context of practice is consistently integrated into post-registration education in clinical practice and post graduate education.