Guides: Nursing: Culture & Cultural Diversity

eBooks

Cultural Awareness in Nursing and Health Care (2018) Discusses health, illness and religious beliefs; Mental health and culture; Women's and men's health in a multicultural society; Caring for the elderly; Death and bereavement.
Cultural competence in health (2017) The determinants of health are examined in the context of cultural competencies.
Culturally Competent Compassion: A guide for healthcare students and practitioners (2018) This text first discusses the philosophical and religious roots of compassion before investigating notions of health, illness, culture and multicultural societies.
Culture, Diversity and Health in Australia (2021) With focus on how different models of health, including the biomedical and Indigenous perspectives.
Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary People with Disabilities or Illnesses (2019) By drawing on the experience of trans people who are affected by physical disability, chronic illness and mental illness, this book is the definitive guide on providing best practise in approaches to health and care policy.

Videos

Nursing Home: Cultural Diversity in Healthcare (2015): 35 Mins This video discusses cultural divesity and ways to adapt care to cultural, ethnic, and religious beliefs in an nursing home setting
Your Practice: Cultural Awareness in Healthcare (2017): 17 Mins Emphasizing the role of common sense in culturally aware practice, this video describes how language differences can impact healthcare, explains why it is a bad idea to use a patient's friends or family as translators, and delineates appropriate sources of cultural information.
A Unique Profession: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Workers (2014): 26 Mins This case study focuses on the development of clinical skills, advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, and the relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and non-Indigenous health workers.
A Valued Profession: Cultural Expertise in the Health Team (2014): 1 Hour This panel program looks at the broad scope of practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, the national registration scheme (and the various approaches taken in different States and regions)

Government Publications / Statistics

Cultural diversity in Australia - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census - updated 2023 The Australian Census of Population and Housing is a rich source of data about Australians and their cultural characteristics.
Cultural Respect Framework 2016 - 2026 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. This framework was developed for the Australian Health Ministers & Advisory Council by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Standing Committee and should be used in the government health sector, health departments and hospital and primary health care settings to guide strategies to improve culturally respectful services.
Multicultural Clinical Support Resource The Multicultural Clinical Support Resource folder provides ready-reference information on issues that affect health care provision to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Search Diversity WA website Presents demographic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of Western Australians.
WA - Multicultural resourcs for health professionals The following resources are available for health professionals to support planning and effective delivery of services to people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Articles

“How can I do more?” Cultural Awareness Training for Hospital-based Healthcare Providers Working with High Aboriginal Caseload (2020) This study examined cultural awareness training feedback from healthcare professionals working with high Aboriginal patient caseloads in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia.
BlackLivesMatter in Healthcare - Australian perspective (2021) Despite decades of evidence showing that institutional and interpersonal racism serve as significant barriers to accessible healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, attempts to address this systemic problem still fall short.
Cultural Humility (2020) The discussion takes into account core constructs that signpost the path to cultural safety and recognises the role and accountability of all levels of the healthcare system, not merely the practitioner.
Connecting and reconnecting to a community, with a sense of belonging - exploring Aboriginal elders' perspectives of engaging in a physical activity program (2022) Culturally appropriate physical activity (PA) programs have values and principles that respect local community culture and knowledge. However, in Western Australia (WA) there were no opportunities for older Aboriginal peoples to engage in a culturally appropriate PA program.

Websites

Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia is the leading authority for Aboriginal health in Western Australia.
ANMF - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation recognises the nursing and midwifery professions play a significant role in improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that addressing health inequality is a priority.
Australian Bureau of Statistics Publishes a wide range of statistics relating to many aspects of Australian life. Two key products are 'Australian Social Trends' and the Community Profiles produced as a result of the Census. Also try searching Themes and Popular Statistics
Bridging Cultures: A Guide to the Diverse Cultures in Australia, for Aged Care Service Providers Downloads as a PDF file. MCCI has developed a wide range of resources to support the implementation of inclusive service delivery principles. Resources are also available to assist and inform consumers on how to access support and maintain health, wellbeing and independence.
Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing is funded by the Australian Department of Health under the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) program.
Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds Competency Standards Framework Culturally responsive clinical practice: Working with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds establishes recommended and optimal cultural responsiveness competency standards for clinicians in all healthcare settings.
Cultural Atlas: SBS Created in 2016, it aims to inform and educate the public in cross-cultural attitudes, practices, norms, behaviours and communications. These cultural observations are contextualised with up-to-date statistics about Australia’s migrant populations and information on their trends of arrival and settlement.

Books

Caring for Patients from Different Cultures (2015) Healthcare providers in the American medical system may find that patients from different cultures bring unfamiliar expectations, anxieties, and needs into the examination room.
Health Care and Indigenous Australians (2019) Offers a comprehensive framework for creating a culturally safe environment and enhancing health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care (2019) Features transcultural theories, models, & research with emphasize on the need for effective & efficient communication, client- and patient-centered teamwork, & collaboration among members of the interprofessional health care team.