Decolonisation through the Journey of Reflection.

Description

Prior to commencing this subject, I assumed the Aboriginals & Strait Torres Islander people were different from other people, in the sense that they had different health and societal issues. I strongly believed that their cultural practices limited them from doing things in a similar way as other people (Brownyn, 2013). In addition, I also believed that they may have cultural dictates which limited them from taking education seriously, and they may also have a diet which may affect their health, hence reducing their life expectancy and affecting their levels of understanding as compared to people from other areas. Moreover, I also thought their bodies might not have adapted to their current location, a move which made them experience numerous health issues, which also affected their well-being (Karen & Booran, 2009). 

I believed that the Aboriginals were not people who valued healthcare and treatment since they fully depended upon their own means of treatment way back before the invasion (Karen & Booran, 2009). This made me not to take them seriously when it came to medication, simply because these are people who are not concerned with medical support because they have their own ways of treating themselves. The perception that I had towards the Aboriginals was somehow bias, due to the past history which I had heard about the Aboriginals and their experiences with nurses. Similarly, also believed that they sought medical support, only if their ways of treatment failed (Brownyn, 2013).   

This perception really affected my decision making particularly when interacting with the Aboriginals and Strait Torres Islander people, since the questions I asked them were based on assumptions. I did not, therefore, get the required information from them, as the factors I assumed did not seem to be what affected them (Brownyn, 2013). This made it hard for me to be able to gain an understanding of why these people led that type of life. Moreover, I was also limited to the type of questions which I was supposed to ask because whatever I thought was right, was actually wrong, a move which made me receive answers which I did not think of. These people seemed to be living a similar life as compared to that of people from other places, and they also had similar beliefs, cultural dictates which resembled that of other people in other areas (Karen & Booran, 2009).

Feelings

This subject has really helped in building me up, thus understanding how to deal with issues related to the Aboriginals (Gawaian, Bronwyn, 2016). I have been able to learn a lot from this subject, and this includes ways through which one can be able to conduct a research regarding a particular family or group of people, hence realizing the factors which made the group develop a certain way of life (Brownyn, 2013). In addition, I have also understood the factors which affect the well-being of people, and the factors which might make them perceive things in a different way as opposed to other (Odette, 2014).

In this subject, first and foremost I learned about the attitudes of parents and family in general (Karen & Booran, 2009). This is a factor which affects the general outlook of the family, since parents are the determiners of which type of life their children lead, thus making them develop certain behaviors which they will also transfer to their children when they grow old. In the issue of the Aboriginals & Strait Torres Islanders people, they lives were majorly affected by the type of teachings which they received from their parents while they were young (Helen & Colin, 2016). If their parents were tortured by people of a certain race, they passed the information to their children, making them understand that a certain group of people are not good, and they should be avoided. This led to the creation of beliefs, whereby parents pass their beliefs to children, who grow up knowing that in order for them to succeed in life, they may not need education (Brownyn, 2013). A factor which makes most Aboriginals and Strait Torres Islanders not to take education seriously.  

The subject enabled me to understand the significance of understanding the culture of the affecting persons (Odette, 2014). Most nurses tend to assume things, otherwise offer treatment to their patients, without having an understanding of the culture of the affected patients. In this case, understanding the culture of the Aboriginals not only opened my eyes, but it also allowed me to know the factors which made most Aboriginals not to seek medical advice from hospitals, and the types of cultural beliefs which they have regarding nurses and medical practitioners (Brownyn, 2013). Moreover, understanding whether the patient uses traditional medicine is also significant, as it helps in coming up with proper ways and techniques of treating the patient (Gawaian, Bronwyn, 2016).   

Evaluation

As a nurse, one needs to evaluate and understand the type of life which certain groups of people lead, in order to administer the treatment in a proper way (Odette, 2014). For instance, when dealing with Aboriginals, one needs to conduct a research on the type of life which they led in the past, whether they valued medical treatment, beliefs and whether use traditional treatment (Karen & Booran, 2009). This consequently enables a nurse to change his or her perception towards certain groups of people. Failure to evaluate the type of life which a certain group of people led makes a nurse to treat a patient based on the perception that he or she has towards that group of people. This factor has seen most nurses mistreating the Aboriginals, a move which makes them not to seek medical support (Gawaian, Bronwyn, 2016).

Understanding the beliefs of a group of people allows the nurses to offer the required medical care. This allows us as the nurses, to be able to offer the best medical care, according to the legal requirements of legislation (Helen & Colin, 2016). It is required by the law for a nurse to fully understand the cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, and cultural safety. Understanding these three forms of the culture allows the nurse to be able to treat all patients equally, regardless of their race or otherwise the public perception concerning them (Brownyn, 2013).

Analysis       

After understanding all the aspects of the society, one needs to analyze the way the medication should be administered (Brownyn, 2013). This may consequently require a nurse to understand the reasoning and political views of the patient, how they end up making decisions and the resources they use for medical purposes. This, therefore, allows one to be able to administer medication which might impact the patients positively, hence allowing them to benefit from the medication (Gawaian, Bronwyn, 2016).

This subject has consequently allowed me to improve my decision-making capabilities since I have been able to understand the new approaches of administering health services (Karen & Booran, 2009). In addition, I have also been able to understand how to deal with own perceptions when it comes to medication (Helen & Colin, 2016). Previously, I could not administer medication without putting the perceptions which I had towards certain groups of people. I can now comfortably conduct medical research, thus administering the proper medication and through following legal medical laws, thus allowing the patient to get well (Odette, 2014).

Conclusion and Action Plan

This subject has been of positive impact not only to me but also to another nurse, who will be able to apply proper medical techniques when treating patients. In my case, this subject will enable me to offer medical support to patients, regardless of their race or class. When it comes to the Aboriginals, I will be able to offer medical support to them, without looking at their weaknesses, perception of medical care, and their past way of life. I will be able to offer medical support to them without having to look at the challenges which they have passed through in the past. This will consequently see me allowing the Aboriginals to seek medical support without having the fear of being discriminated by medical doctors or others the nurses. In order to achieve this, I will consequently need to plan on how to execute the different task as a nurse. In my action plan, I will have a section whereby I will encourage the Aboriginals to seek medical support. Secondly, I will also encourage other nurses to follow the rules and regulation of conducting medical support in accordance with the registered nurse's standards, thus being able to see most people being able to receive medical support without being discriminated.

Reference

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Brownyn F. (2013). ‘We don't leave our identities at the City Limits': Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Living in Urban Localities: Queensland University of Technology. 

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