Australia
is made up of various cultural backgrounds including overseas born people which
have migrated to Australia for a better life. It has become a highly diverse
society which embraces multiculturalism (Guzys and Petrie, 2014). An accurate
understanding of multiculturalism I found was best described by Guszys and Petrie (2014),
stating ‘multiculturalism is a philosophy guiding policy and practice in the
management of the consequences of cultural diversity, in the interests of the individual
and society as a whole.’ Simply put, it is a response to reality of cultural
diversity which aims to foster social justice and economic efficiency within
Australia.
Image retrieved from http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au
Immigrants
entering Australia are faced with language barriers and cultural practice
challenges that can impact access to health services and participate within
community (Heidke, 2015). Australia’s history of immigration has shaped the
composition, size, and cultural population. It is one of the most ethnically
diverse countries in the world (Julian, 2009). As summarised by Heidke (2015),
immigrants may be healthy initially, but can develop chronic conditions over
time same as Australian populations.
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| Image retrieved from migrationblog.border.gov.au |
This
can be contributed to barriers that exist within the culturally and linguistically
diverse populations that migrants are exposed to. Queensland Government published information pertaining
to barriers identified by culturally and linguistically diverse communities, found at http://www.qld.gov.au/web/community-engagement/guides-factsheets/cald-communities/introduction/barriers.html
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Image retrieved from www.slideshare.net
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When
providing culturally competent care, these barriers and challenges can be
detrimental when providing heath care for overseas born people. As I researched further, I found an article by (Griffith, Mellor, Green and Renzaho, 2014) which suggests culturally competent prevention programmes should consider
design and delivery specific to immigrant clientele. This is an example of a health
related issues within migrant populations, that I may encounter within a nursing career.
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| Image retrieved from googleimages.com |
Additionally, Gill and Babacan
(2012) documented how Australian employers value diversity, and recognise the benefit
of diversity within the workplace. In conjunction
with effective collaboration with client, family and cultural health workers, this is an example of how to establishing a therapeutic relationship between the patient and I could assist me in meeting their needs (Heidke, 2015).
When
responding to changing cultural patterns of health, the Australian Government
is committed to deliver services responsive to the diverse community. Issues
that immigrants may experience include separation of family, language barriers,
employment and housing issues, different cultural practices impacting on ability
to participate in society and limited health literacy knowledge. These barriers
as described by Heidke (2015) affect access to healthcare, and as I have learnt throughout this course, such barriers will exist and having cultural literacy and competency will aid me in achieving cultural competency and gain greater understanding of multiculturalism in the health care workplace.
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| Image retrieved from Mildura Regional City Council
References
Gill, G. K., & Babacan, H. (2012). Developing a
cultural responsiveness framework in healthcare systems: an Australian example.
Diversity & Equality In Health & Care, 9(1), 45-55.
Griffith, M., Mellor, D., Green, J., & Renzaho, A. M.
(2014). Migration-related influences on obesity among sub- Saharan African
migrant adolescents in Melbourne, Australia. Nutrition& Dietetics, 71(4),
252-257.
Guzys, D., & Petrie, E. (2013). An Introduction to
Community and Primary Health Care in Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Heike, P. (2015). NURS12002-Inclusive Practice: Study
guide. Rockhampton, Qld: CQUniversity Australia
Jordan, J., Buchbinder, R., & Osborne, R. (2010). Conceptualising
health literacy from the patient perspective. Patient Education And Counseling,
79(1), 36-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.10.001
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