Takeaway tidbits:
1. Reflect on our own culture and implicit biases prior to engaging our learners.
2. Use the questions for self-reflection as outlined in the article as a starting point for you and your learner (Fig. 1 below).
3. Encourage learners to reflect on specific patient interactions and connect them to the stepwise approach toward culturally safe care (Fig.2 below).
Summary:
This article is intended to assist teachers with initiating conversations about providing culturally safer health care. As teachers, we must self-reflect before engaging and encouraging our learners, and analyze the existing power differential within the patient-physician relationship. Consider specific patient encounters and guiding questions to help our learners reflect on culture and bias. Allow space for self-reflection but be aware that learners may not want to reveal their thoughts.
To move towards culturally safer care, one can use a step-wise approach by considering and being cognizant of a few important concepts:
1. Cultural humility – self-reflection and willingness to understand biases and learn about others.
2. Cultural awareness – recognizing that differences and similarities exist between cultures.
3. Cultural sensitivity – acknowledging the importance of respecting the differences between cultures.
4. Cultural competency – developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work with a diverse group of people.
Link to Resources:
Graves L, Horrey K, Hubinette M, Oandasan I, Freeman R. Creating dialogue on culture and bias in the learner-teacher relationship. Can Fam Physician 2021;67:544-6. DOI: 10.46747/cfp.6707544