Topic: A Culturally Safe Approach to Care

To ensure Indigenous people receive safe and culturally appropriate care, it is essential that HCPs receive cultural safety training (Kitching et al., 2020). Culturally safe clinical practice provides patients with a sense of security when receiving care and an environment that is safe and free from racism and discrimination (Wilkinson, 2021).

One of the components of cultural safety is that it acknowledges the power dynamics between the HCP and patient. Using a culturally safe approach, the patient has more input in their treatment plan (Pierre, 2020).

Another equally important component to cultural safety [culturally safe practice] is cultural humility. As a health care practitioner, implementing cultural humility into your practice acknowledges it is okay not to know everything. If you make a mistake, it is an opportunity to learn and improve from those mistakes (Indigenous Health Learning Lodge, 2024).

When HCPs deliver culturally safe care to their patients, they examine external factors to understand current health issues. This might involve considerations of social, economic, spiritual, cultural and mental impacts. Using a culturally safe approach to care, HCPs acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonialism and how intergenerational trauma plays a role in the overall health and wellbeing of Indigenous people (Wilkinson, 2021).

To learn more about the different components of cultural safety, please watch the following video clip (Concepts of cultural safety 2:15 to 6:30 AND/OR Examples of concepts 11:18-14:13) on Orientation to Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility .

In addition, it is important to involve cultural perspectives and traditional approaches to care and treatment when dealing with Indigenous patients. A treatment plan may include traditional medicines, access to a traditional healer, and or attending ceremony to help the patient on their healing journey (Pierre, 2020).

To hear more about the use of Indigenous perspectives and worldviews to health, please listen to a short clip from the RawTalk podcast episode #53 Indigenous Perspectives on Health | Raw Talk Podcast. If you would like to listen to the whole podcast episode, you can find this at the end of the module in the resource section.

To learn more about a culturally safe approach to care dealing with Indigenous women, please watch the following video clip where Marcia Anderson-DeCoteau shares an example of specialized programming for Indigenous mothers Indigenous Knowledge to Close Gaps in Indigenous Health | Marcia Anderson-DeCoteau . If you would like to continue watching the remaining video, you can find this at the end of the module in the resource section.