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‘First tonight, the contentious new code telling nurses to say, ‘sorry for being white’: Mental health nurses’ beliefs about their Code of Conduct and cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Citation
Molloy, L and Beckett, P and Chidarikire, S and Scott, MP and Guha, MD and Tran Merrick, T and Patton, D, First tonight, the contentious new code telling nurses to say, sorry for being white': Mental health nurses' beliefs about their Code of Conduct and cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 30, (6) pp. 1630-1639. ISSN 1445-8330 (2021) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Abstract
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Nurses sets
out the professional behaviour and conduct expectations for nurses in all practice settings. The
publication of a revised version in 2018, which included expectations related to culturally safe and
respectful practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ health, caused
reverberations beyond the profession of nursing. A controversy that the changes required nurses
to verbally apologize for being white before their interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people gained the attention of the mainstream media. This interpretation, which came
from outside nursing, was disputed by the Board. Challenged by these events, the authors were
interested in understanding the actual impacts of the changes from the perspectives of nurses in
practice. This research, carried out nearly three years after publication, has focused specifically on
the speciality of mental health nurses in this context. The objective of this research was to
undertake a social analysis focused on the impact that changes in the Code have had on the
culture of mental health nursing utilizing a qualitative methodology. Eight mental health nurses
were interviewed. The research found that there was little evidence of any impact on mental
health nursing practice. Many of the participants were unaware of the amendments to the Code, whilst those nurses who were aware did not perceive that it had led to any real change within
mental health nursing or service delivery.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | first nation peoples, indigenous peoples, nursing, mental health, cultural safety. |
| Research Division: | Health Sciences |
| Research Group: | Nursing |
| Research Field: | Mental health nursing |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
| Objective Field: | Mental health |
| UTAS Author: | Chidarikire, S (Dr Shep Chidarikire) |
| ID Code: | 145728 |
| Year Published: | 2021 |
| Deposited By: | Nursing |
| Deposited On: | 2021-08-04 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-11-10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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