Mahi Ngātahi

Culturally responsive ways
of working together in
Well Child / Tamariki Ora
services

I am different from you

cultural safety

Ko wai au - who am I? image
Tēnā koe,

Te Kohurau te maunga, Arai te Uru te tai, Arai te Uru te waka, Poutaiki te pa nehera, Oraumoa te awa, Moeraki te kainga, Uenuku te marae, Kai Tahu me Kahungunu ngā iwi,

Ko Zoë Tipa ahau.

I am a registered nurse with a background in primary healthcare, gerontology, Māori health, well-child / tamariki ora nursing and nursing education. Underpinning my work in these fields has been a particular interest in the ‘art’ of caring. I am currently a PhD student at AUT.

My focus has been on exploring therapeutic communication techniques - including relationship building, understanding worldviews and facilitating change, as well as identifying ways to obtain genuine feedback from the perspectives of people receiving services. 

This interest has led me to explore cultural safety and how it relates to the concept of cultural responsiveness, particularly within the context of mainstream health service design and delivery. I am committed to conducting research that identifies ways to reduce health inequities and promotes the use of outcome measures that make a difference for Māori whānau, hapu and Iwi.

This website is designed to provide a place for me to connect with people who are interested in exploring and contributing to further research and discussions in the field of cultural responsiveness. It is a place for potential participants to gain information about the research I am completing and a central place for me to present my findings. 

Thanks for visiting - ngā mihi nui, 

Zoë
my role in responding to institutional power

cultural responsiveness

We know that Māori do not experience the same health outcomes as non-Māori. We also know that health professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand do not always respond well to the  needs of Māori clients and their whānau.  Many of our health service structures, contracts  and designs reflect the priorities of the dominant culture rather than what's important for Māori.

This research was used to develop a theory to support health professionals to work effectively alongside whānau Māori in well-child/tamariki ora services. By increasing health professional and organisational cultural responsiveness, whānau will be more likely to engage with well-child/tamariki ora services in meaningful ways and ultimately, experience better health outcomes.

This  research was underpinned by Kaupapa Māori methodology and used constructivist grounded theory methods to collect and analyse data. It contributes to the limited knowledge that exists in relation to cultural responsiveness in health settings and support the practice development of  health professionals working alongside whānau Māori.
Study Overview image
how I work with people I am different from

cultural competence

 Findings image
Kia ora - here is an overview of the initial findings from this research:

•Cultural responsiveness to Māori extends beyond the cultural safety of practice
•Cultural responsiveness in service delivery is about situating the service within Te Ao Māori (the Māori world)
•Making connections and building relationships are fundamental components of culturally responsive practice
•Negative experiences with WCTO services (and other services) contribute to the mistrust whānau have towards health services

Cultural responsiveness is about the environment in which culturally safe practice is delivered. It is about the nurse knowing themselves and their impact on others, but it is also about creating space for difference. Historically services have required whānau to 'fit within the parameters of the service. In order for Māori to engage with and see value in WCTO services, services need to fit within what Te Ao Māori looks like for whānau.
Whānau need WCTO to connect with them and their tamariki at a deeper level. This is often described as being 'felt' or a 'vibe' relating to whether someone is trustworthy. The history of a service and whānau relationships with a service have an impact on willingness to engage. This is strongly influenced by the relationships established at the first meeting. Also continuity of care is important. Whānau do not want to build relationships with multiple nurses and people. The value of a nurse working well with whānau cannot be underestimated and should not be sacrificed at hand of organisational business decisions.

To read the full thesis please click here: https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/14007


Feel free to fill in the contact form below for more information

Kia ora and thank you for your interest