NZ cultural safety training plan for vocational medicine
10 February 2023
The world’s first specialist medical cultural safety training plan launches in New Zealand.
Cultural Safety Training Plan for Vocational Medicine in Aotearoa, launched by the Council of Medical Colleges and Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA), is a key step towards achieving equity and the aspiration of New Zealand’s indigenous Māori population to reach their full health potential.
The college was represented at the event by staff from our Wellington and Melbourne offices, joining colleagues from medical colleges across New Zealand.
What does cultural safety mean for doctors?
- Examining the impact of their own culture on their work with patients.
- Committing to addressing any of their own biases, attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices which may affect the care they provide to patients.
- Engaging in ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness to hold themselves accountable for providing culturally safe care, as defined by the patient and their communities.
While cultural safety is applicable to all cultural, ethnic, religious and other social groups, the training plan has a deliberate focus on Māori health outcomes.
The cultural safety training plan was created in response to a 2019 statement from the Medical Council of New Zealand, that medical education in New Zealand should include a focus on cultural safety.