Cultural Awareness and Safety

Dean Cowles presents an in-depth discussion on cultural awareness, cultural competency, and cultural safety.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the differences between cultural awareness, cultural competency, and cultural safety

2. Recognise the benefits of cultural safety and how it applies to various communities and settings
3. Applies the concept of Kawa Whakaruruhau to practice when working with Māori communities
4. Understand various reflective frameworks and how these contribute to cultural safety
5. Comprehend deep reflexivity in instances of cultural complexity at a professional and organisational level
6. Explore potential organisational change processes to enhance cultural safety

 About the Presenter

Dean’s clinical background is in clinical education, theatre, PACU and public health. He has spent most of his nursing career in the public sector and made the move into private healthcare three years ago. Dean currently works as the Māori Nurse Advisor, within the Nursing Directorate, for Southern Cross Healthcare. Dean is motivated to inspire transformational change for Māori patients & whānau who enter the private sector. Part of this is collaborating with key stakeholders across the country to re-indigenise the way in which healthcare is provided. “These are exciting times where we have the unique opportunity to harness cultural and clinical capability to influence change.”