A critique of measures of emotion and empathy in First Peoples’ cultural safety in nursing education: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Background

In Australia, undertaking cultural safety education often evokes strong emotional responses by health students. Despite the potential for emotion to drive transformative learning in this space, measures of emotion are uncommon.

Aim

To review existing tools that intend to measure emotional components of learning in relation to cultural safety education.

Methods

Articles published in English from January 2005 to January 2020; reported studies from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States of America; and measured an emotional construct/s after an education intervention offered to university students enrolled in a health programme were included. Studies were assessed for quality according to the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme criteria.

Results

Eight articles were reviewed; five conducted in the United States of America, and three in Australia. Intervention type, measures, methodological rigour and outcomes varied. Studies predominately measured empathy, guilt and/or fear.

Conclusions

Although students’ emotional responses were measured, processes for students to reflect upon these reactions were not incorporated in the classroom. The review has implications for future research and curricula through developments in measuring and acting upon emotion in cultural safety education for nursing students in Australia.

Keywords:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• cultural safety
• emotion
• First Peoples
• pedagogy
• measures

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author (KM) is supported by the Griffith University, Lowitja Institute PhD Scholarship.