Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Offered	Peninsula Second semester 2010 (Day) Peninsula Second semester 2010 (Flexible)
Coordinator(s)	Ms Katrina Recoche

Synopsis

This unit will provide students with an enhanced understanding of the role culture plays in the lives of people from different backgrounds, the role of culture on health beliefs and the implications for health professionals. The unit will explore cultural safety and cultural responsiveness/cultural competency using the NH&MRC National Guidelines for Cultural Competence in Health as a framework. Students will be provided with the opportunity to explore their own values and beliefs and contrast these with the values and beliefs of others in the community.
The unit will use various community-based clinical and social issues as a vehicle to enable students to engage with and develop skills in applying the principles of cultural responsiveness/cultural competency in health care delivery, in the setting of our diverse multi-cultural and Indigenous communities. This unit will underpin the 'Cultural Responsiveness/ Cultural Competency' theme in the respective courses which will be enhanced throughout subsequent units.

Objectives

• Define the notion of 'culture' and how it manifests in society;

Identify own personal values and beliefs related to health beliefs and contrast these with the values and beliefs of others in the community;
OR
Identify and reflect upon your own cultural knowledge and perspectives, and examine new ways of seeing, valuing and understanding with regard to multi-cultural and Indigenous health practice.

• Discuss the terms health status and culture;
• Describe the evolution of cultural awareness with regard to prevailing theories and models;
• Discuss the terms cultural responsiveness/cultural competency and safety;
• Outline the main points underpinning the NH&MRC National Guidelines for Cultural Competency in Health and the NHMRC Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous health;
• Demonstrate the communication skills and attitudes required of health professionals in providing culturally safe health care for multicultural and Indigenous Australians;
• Apply the principles of cultural safety to achieve optimal outcomes for particular cultural groups; and
• Examine and discuss a variety of explanations for Indigenous health and ill-health.

Assessment

Formative:
Feedback from guided learning exercises weekly.

Summative:
Assignment 50%, 2,500 words
Poster presentation (group activity) 40%
Tutorial attendance and participation 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Meredith McIntyre

Contact hours

24 Lecture Hours, 12 tutorial hours or online learning activities, 36 hours directed reading activities, 80 hours student directed.