Cultural Safety in Nursing Aotearoa

Cultural safety in nursing in Aotearoa has not been achieved as Dr. Irihapeti Ramsden envisioned over 30 years ago, and it was quickly domesticated into cultural competency. Successive governments have failed to uphold their obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi; as a result, Māori face double jeopardy as they are disproportionately high users of an unsafe health system. The exclusion of whānau voices from the current process raises questions such as: who does this process serve? and is the process itself safe? Currently, there is no baseline data for the nursing profession in Aotearoa. A critical review of the Nursing Council New Zealand and regulatory processes is essential to gain a deeper understanding of how culturally safe practice develops with professional growth. This is particularly pertinent for the Advanced Practice Nurse group, as they possess significant potential to ensure that policies focus on healthcare equity for Maori. This doctoral research investigates Cultural Safety in nursing by exploring the lived experiences of whānau and Māori Advanced Practice nurses under the umbrella of Kaupapa Māori research . It aims to reclaim and reignite the mouri of Kawa Whakaruruhau and Cultural Safety in nursing in Aotearoa, to identify new terrain or elements that emphasise criticality, accountability, and towards a sustaining system of transformation. Further contributing to Indigenous health literature by fostering discussion, sharing expertise, and developing methodologies. 

Cultural safety in nursing in Aotearoa has not been achieved as Dr. Irihapeti Ramsden envisioned over 30 years ago, and it was quickly domesticated into cultural competency. Successive governments have failed to uphold their obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi; as a result, Māori face double jeopardy as they are disproportionately high users of an unsafe health system. The exclusion of whānau voices from the current process raises questions such as: who does this process serve? and is the process itself safe? Currently, there is no baseline data for the nursing profession in Aotearoa. A critical review of the Nursing Council New Zealand and regulatory processes is essential to gain a deeper understanding of how culturally safe practice develops with professional growth. This is particularly pertinent for the Advanced Practice Nurse group, as they possess significant potential to ensure that policies focus on healthcare equity for Maori. This doctoral research investigates Cultural Safety in nursing by exploring the lived experiences of whānau and Māori Advanced Practice nurses under the umbrella of Kaupapa Māori research . It aims to reclaim and reignite the mouri of Kawa Whakaruruhau and Cultural Safety in nursing in Aotearoa, to identify new terrain or elements that emphasise criticality, accountability, and towards a sustaining system of transformation. Further contributing to Indigenous health literature by fostering discussion, sharing expertise, and developing methodologies.