Which way? Educating for nursing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Abstract

Cross-Cultural Awareness Training has been seen as a way to improve nurses’ knowledge and understanding of Indigenous peoples in Australia (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) and therefore to improve service delivery and therapeutic care to them. Nurses may have undertaken this type of training in their workplace or as part of nurse education in an undergraduate degree program. In asking ‘Which Way’, with regard to this type of training and education, this paper includes the views of a selection of Aboriginal women and highlights the need to extend beyond Cross-Cultural Awareness Training to Anti-Racism Training. Further, Anti-Racism Training and addressing white race privilege is required in order to address inequities within the health system, as well as the marginalisation and disempowerment of Indigenous peoples.

Keywords:

• Australian
• Indigenous
• Aboriginal
• Torres Strait Islander
• cross-cultural awareness training
• white privilege
• anti-racism