Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
Nil
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learningUnit rationale, description and aim
Being a health professional, it is a requirement that you are able to perform person-centred care in a culturally competent manner. This requirement exists because all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their beliefs, values or attitudes. Students are required to undertake this unit as it provides the foundation for culturally competent practice through the lens of Indigenous Australian culture to ensure graduates enter the workforce as culturally competent practitioners.
The social-historical-political context, cultural knowledges, and related health issues of Indigenous peoples of Australia and across the world will be the focus of this unit. The concept of globalisation will be introduced and explored with reference to the health of Indigenous peoples. Students will then examine the historical context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health, contemporary issues in healthcare provision, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ways of knowing, being and doing. The impact of current strategies to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care will be examined, along with ways that the health care system can respond to the health needs of this population. The notion of culturally competent care will be introduced, and students will start to develop knowledge and skills needed to provide culturally competent care to people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Aligned with cultural competence are principles of community engagement – in this unit, students will be introduced to the principles that would enable safe and effective community engagement and explore how these principles can be applied within their practice.
The aim of this unit is to provide health students with a solid foundation on which to build cultural competency across their undergraduate program – knowledge and skills that they will need to apply to their future health care practice.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Describe the implications and health consequences of the socio-historical-political context on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and other First Nations populations, from individual and community contexts | GC2, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO2 | Critically evaluate how social, cultural and cross-cultural factors shape the health beliefs, experiences and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples and other cultural groups | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO3 | Apply the principles of cultural safety to enable culturally sensitive health care across a range of populations and health care settings, but with particular reference to socially and culturally marginalised populations | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Registered Nurse Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7 | LO3 |
Maintains the capability for practice. 3.2, 3.3, 3.7 | LO3 |
NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Midwife Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:
| Standards/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Promotes health and wellbeing through evidence-based midwifery practice. 1.1; 1.4 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Engages in professional relationships and respectful partnerships. 2.1; 2.2; 2.3; 2.4; 2.5; 2.6 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice. 3.4 | LO2 |
Paramedicine Board of Australia Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
The Paramedicine Board of Australia is responsible for assessing, consulting on and setting the standards for paramedics practicing in Australia. These standards and relevant domains are articulated in the Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic document. The learning outcomes of this unit are matched to the relevant capabilities, in order to align students’ development with the requirements of a paramedic.
| Standards/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Domain 1: The professional and ethical practitioner 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 2: The communicator and collaborator 2.1 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner 3.1 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner 4.7 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 5: The paramedicine practitioner 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.6 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Content
Topics will include:
The health consequences of globalisation with particular reference to
- Social determinants of health
- Inequalities in health status
- Global Indigenous health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
- Indigenous Australian ways of knowing, being and doing
- Traditional ways of healing
- History and health consequences of colonisation
- Acute and chronic conditions, co-morbidity and disability amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Racism and the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Effect of government policy on health and social wellbeing
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care provision
- Policy and community initiatives in health care, including the Closing the Gap strategy
- Primary healthcare approach
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care workers
- Self-determination and Aboriginal controlled healthcare organisations
- Reconciliation
Cultural competence in health care
- Definitions and debates around cultural competence
- Knowledge and skills in the provision of culturally competent care
- Using a strengths-based approach
- Providing culturally appropriately care
- Community engagement
- Interprofessional and multi-sectorial healthcare
Introduction to community engagement in health
- Principles of working collaboratively with communities, capacity building, reciprocity, and transformative learning
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit requires students to undertake 150 hours of focused learning to achieve the unit learning outcomes. It has two delivery patterns: a standard full semester delivery pattern which is scheduled nationally; and an intensive delivery pattern which is scheduled off-shore. Modes of delivery in this unit for both full semester and intensive delivery patterns include lectures, tutorials, online activities and self-directed study. In addition, this unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. It includes a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Early and additional feedback on learning, and tailored support, are provided to facilitate students’ transition to university. Consistent with adult learning principles, the teaching and learning approaches used within these modes of delivery will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to professional practice for healthcare professionals. These strategies will also support students in meeting the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit and the broader course learning outcomes. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively with peers. The social-historical-political context, cultural knowledges, and related health issues of Indigenous peoples across the world and related concepts will be delivered as lectures and online content. Explanation, exploration and application of these concepts to health care practice will be undertaken in the tutorial classes and embedded in the assessment activities.
This unit may also be offered on or off campus in intensive mode or multi-mode for sponsored / special cohorts, with the learning and teaching strategies being equivalent with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the School Course Implementation Committee.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the Unit Learning Outcomes and attain the Graduate Attributes. These assessments are required to build student knowledge and skills which, by the conclusion of this program, will enable the student to graduate as a safe and effective health care professional.
The oral assessment supports the development of sound communication skills which are required for all interactions as a health care professional; it assesses an understanding of issues specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The quiz and cultural project examine cultural competence and associated knowledge which will direct future practice as a health care professional. These assessments are required to build student knowledge which, by the conclusion of this program, will allow the student to graduate as a health care professional who can behave with cultural competence. This requirement exists because all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their beliefs, values or attitudes.
Intensive and multi-mode assessment of this unit will be transparently equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the relevant Course Implementation Committee.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Oral Presentation Enables students to practice culturally safe communication, and gain understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and their impact from a strengths-based perspective. | 25% | LO1, LO2 |
Assessment Task 2: Quiz Enables students to articulate an understanding of the socio-historical-political context, cross-cultural communication, and cultural safety. | 30% | LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 3: Project Enables students to apply their understanding of the socio-historical-political context, cross-cultural communication, and cultural safety to a cultural scenario. | 45% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Representative texts and references
Recommended references:
Biles, B., & Biles, J. (Eds.). (2020) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and wellbeing. Oxford University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=6512745
Best, O., & Fredericks, B. (2018). Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Eckermann, A-K., Dowd, T., Chong, E., Nixon, L., Gray, R., & Johnson, S. (2010). Binan Goonj: Bridging cultures in Aboriginal health (3rd ed.). Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. https://acu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61ACU_INST/13lm7d8/alma991012598825902352
Germov, J. (Ed.) (2019) Second opinion: an introduction to health sociology (6th Ed). Oxford University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=5611991.
Guzys, D., Brown, R., Halcomb, E. & Whitehead, D. (2020) An introduction to community and primary health care. (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Hampton, R., & Toombs, M. (Eds.). (2013). Indigenous Australians and health: The wombat in the room. Oxford University Press. https://acu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61ACU_INST/qpf7hm/alma991012619256002352
Labonte, R. & Ruckert, A. (2019). Health inequities in a globalizing era: past challenges, future prospects. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198835356.001.0001.
Smith, J.(2020). Australia’s rural, remote and Indigenous health 3e. Elsevier. https://www.clinicalkey.com.au/nursing/#!/content/book/3-s2.0-B9780729542418000159.
Taylor, K., & Guerin, P. (2019). Health care and Indigenous Australians: Cultural safety in practice (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=6235065.