Gorman, Don and Best, Odette (2005) Multicultural issues in health. In: Living with illness: psychosocial challenges for nursing. Elsevier (Churchill Livingstone), Sydney, Australia, pp. 70-82. ISBN 0-7295-3750-1
Abstract
This chapter deals with the provision of nursing care to clients from a range of cultural backgrounds. Health beliefs and practices vary from culture to culture, making cultural sensitivity essential to the dehvery of effectIve
nursing care. Studies have shown the need for greater knowledge and understanding of cultural differences to enable clinicians to respond more effectively to clients from non-English speaking backgrounds. (DiCicco-Bloom
& Cohen 2003, Gebru & Willman 2003, Spence 2001). This chapter, then, will look at the significance of culture and how it affects our interactions with others' cultural issues that influence health and health care; and the
concept of cultural safety. While it is important that we avoid stereotyping people, examples will be given of some of the common differences in views held by different cultures that demonstrate how cultural dIfferences can
affect health care.
While this chapter discusses primarily ethnic cultural groups, it should be borne in mind throughout that other subgroups within society also have their own specific cultural beliefs. They can therefore be disadvantaged if their beliefs differ from mainstream culture. A particular focus of this chapter will be the health needs of Indigenous Australians, a recognised subgroup of
Australians, through an exploration of the case study of Irene.
|
Statistics for this ePrint Item |
Actions (login required)
 |
Archive Repository Staff Only |