Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care
Abstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience persistent disadvantage and health inequity in today’s society. It is widely accepted that this is resultant of Australia’s colonial history. Current literature suggests that an increase in culturally safe care may assist i...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12813-7 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849728253870211072 |
|---|---|
| author | Gabrielle Livingston Julian Grant Brian Sengstock |
| author_facet | Gabrielle Livingston Julian Grant Brian Sengstock |
| author_sort | Gabrielle Livingston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience persistent disadvantage and health inequity in today’s society. It is widely accepted that this is resultant of Australia’s colonial history. Current literature suggests that an increase in culturally safe care may assist in bettering the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recipients of care. Research in nursing has suggested that cultural safety is largely misunderstood, however, there is no research into paramedic understanding of this approach. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was adopted for this pilot study. Semi-structured interviews were held with six paramedics from December 2022 – February 2023. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings were then critiqued against the cultural safety framework and the democratic racism framework. Results Data identified four major themes; characteristics of being culturally safe, approaches to clinical practice, inferiority stereotyping and education. Conclusions Limited understanding of cultural safety was identified in participant voices. Participants did not display critical cultural reflection, and instead discourses within a democratic racism framework were present. This suggests that for this small qualitative study, paramedic practice is not underpinned by the principles of cultural safety, thus questioning the provision of culturally safe care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cf689b3af7ff4c429bbb0a8b5f5396d0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-cf689b3af7ff4c429bbb0a8b5f5396d02025-08-20T03:09:35ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-05-0125111110.1186/s12913-025-12813-7Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe careGabrielle Livingston0Julian Grant1Brian Sengstock2Charles Sturt UniversityCharles Sturt UniversityCharles Sturt UniversityAbstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience persistent disadvantage and health inequity in today’s society. It is widely accepted that this is resultant of Australia’s colonial history. Current literature suggests that an increase in culturally safe care may assist in bettering the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recipients of care. Research in nursing has suggested that cultural safety is largely misunderstood, however, there is no research into paramedic understanding of this approach. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was adopted for this pilot study. Semi-structured interviews were held with six paramedics from December 2022 – February 2023. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings were then critiqued against the cultural safety framework and the democratic racism framework. Results Data identified four major themes; characteristics of being culturally safe, approaches to clinical practice, inferiority stereotyping and education. Conclusions Limited understanding of cultural safety was identified in participant voices. Participants did not display critical cultural reflection, and instead discourses within a democratic racism framework were present. This suggests that for this small qualitative study, paramedic practice is not underpinned by the principles of cultural safety, thus questioning the provision of culturally safe care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12813-7Cultural safetyAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplesParamedicine |
| spellingShingle | Gabrielle Livingston Julian Grant Brian Sengstock Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care BMC Health Services Research Cultural safety Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Paramedicine |
| title | Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| title_full | Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| title_fullStr | Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| title_short | Paramedics’ understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| title_sort | paramedics understandings and perceptions of cultural safety and the provision of culturally safe care |
| topic | Cultural safety Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Paramedicine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12813-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gabriellelivingston paramedicsunderstandingsandperceptionsofculturalsafetyandtheprovisionofculturallysafecare AT juliangrant paramedicsunderstandingsandperceptionsofculturalsafetyandtheprovisionofculturallysafecare AT briansengstock paramedicsunderstandingsandperceptionsofculturalsafetyandtheprovisionofculturallysafecare |