Content area
Full Text
NURSES ARE WELL SITUATED TO ASSIST ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH, DIRECTLY THROUGH HEALTH SERVICES AND INDIRECTLY THROUGH POLITICAL INFLUENCE.
ABSTRACT
Nurses working in aboriginal communities need to understand the history, socio-political climate and culture within the specific community. In addition to placing a high priority on this learning, nurses should also understand the concept of respect in aboriginal terms and apply respect in all their dealings in the community. Self-awareness of their own beliefs and assumptions is critical if nurses are to have an effective relationship with the community. The author, an aboriginal person who grew up in a non-aboriginal home, illustrates these concepts with anecdotes from her own experiences when she returned to her Dene community.
KEYWORDS: aboriginal communities, cultural awareness
Nurses working in aboriginal communities require a broad knowledge base that includes clinical and psychosocial knowledge imbued with thorough self-awareness. Equally important is knowledge of Canadian societal attitudes toward aboriginal people as expressed through the media, government policies, education policies, socio-political situations and the history and culture of aboriginal people in Canada.
IN THE LITERATURE
In traditional aboriginal cultures, health care involves a holistic approach that includes physical, spiritual, emotional and mental aspects (Waldram, Herring, & Young, 1995). In a 2001 survey, nurses working in aboriginal communities and hospitals were asked about their learning needs. They cited emergency/ acute care, obstetrics and gynecology clinical skills, health and physical assessment across the life span, mental health, prenatal and postnatal issues, how to deal with victims of violence, and substance abuse issues, including fetal alcohol syndrome (Silverman, Goodine, Ladouceur, & Quinn). The study illustrates the different views about health of Euro-Canadian and aboriginal Canadian cultures. The nurses were primarily concerned with the physical and mental aspects of care and did not mention the emotional and spiritual aspects. Further, they made no mention of culture, socio-politics, traditions or language difficulties. If health care is to be accessible, then it must be culturally appropriate. In aboriginal communities, culturally appropriate care means that nurses must not isolate physical and mental issues but consider the entire picture of a person, including spirituality, emotions, culture and history.
Cultural and language differences can lead to miscommunication, misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatments. For example, a study in Inuit communities...