Cultural safety emerged in Aotearoa, New Zealand as a nursing response to bicultural interactions between indigenous Maori and other New Zealanders. The purpose of this research is to describe the meaning and experience of cultural safety as depicted by nurses in New Zealand and to illustrate the potential for this to inform U.S. nursing education and practice. This interpretive hermeneutic study explored cultural safety as described by 12 experienced nurses who were selected through snowball and purposive sampling. Audiotaped interviews were conducted after ethics approval. Interpretive analysis uncovered five themes that are described with data and paradigm cases. Cultural safety considers the perspective of the patient as the norm in contrast to the culture of health care. Understanding historical power differences and personal biases can help challenge victim-blaming responses by health care providers. Incorporating these understandings into reflective practice enhances the possibility of culturally safe learning for students and culturally safe care for patients.
Nurses provide health services to many groups with unmet health needs. Communities with consistently unmet needs are generally 'stretched' as they are under pressure. For children and families this pressure impacts their ability to live healthy lifestyles. The Wellington South Nursing Initiative involves two nurses providing an innovative population-based nursing service to stretched urban communities, particularly children and families, predominantly through networking and project work. Projects are specifically focused activities developed and implemented to address areas of health need. The projects cluster around five overarching areas: enhancing individual and community potential, growing safer families and communities, minimising negative harmful or risky behaviour, maximising general health and wellbeing and addressing specific health needs. Critical elements of the nurses' practice are the use of public health principles combined with a community development approach, relational practice and working for sustainability. The initiative provides important insights into how nurses can enter and work with communities and enhance the potential of children, families and the wider community.
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