Introduction
This essay draws upon a multimedia collage that captures essential facets of my personal identity and positioning, including elements such as family heritage, cultural influences, travel experiences, and personal health challenges. The collage serves as a reflective tool to address the central question: how my identity and positioning in relation to Country, Community, and Context shape my understanding of Cultural Safety and my responsibilities as a future registered nurse working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Structured around key themes, the discussion begins with an exploration of who I am, reflecting on my cultures, heritages, family, values, and social identities. It then examines my positioning within the Australian context, considering relationships to land, awareness of sovereignty, and the impacts of settler-colonial structures. Finally, it outlines implications for my nursing practice, emphasising concrete actions for culturally safe care. Through this reflection, I aim to demonstrate how self-awareness informs ethical and empathetic nursing, supported by relevant academic sources. This analysis is grounded in my studies in Nursing and Aboriginal Health, highlighting the need for ongoing critical reflection in healthcare.
Who Am I?
My identity is multifaceted, shaped by a blend of heritages, family influences, personal values, and social experiences that are visually represented in my collage through images of ancestral symbols, family gatherings, natural landscapes, and moments from my health journey. As someone with white skin and a British/Scottish background, I trace my ancestry to forebears who emigrated from the United Kingdom, instilling in me a sense of connection to Celtic traditions and histories. However, this heritage feels somewhat distant, as my parents were both born overseas, and I have grown up in Sydney, Australia, often being perceived as inherently ‘Australian’ due to my appearance. This assumption has frequently left me questioning my cultural roots, particularly in diverse school and community settings where ethnic identities were more overtly discussed.
Family and upbringing play a central role in my self-perception, depicted in the collage through photographs of childhood homes and family outings. Raised in privileged, affluent circles in Sydney, my early life was marked by access to quality education and resources, with little direct exposure to Indigenous Australians or their cultures. This sheltered environment fostered values of independence and curiosity, yet it also limited my understanding of broader social inequities. For instance, my love for the beach, nature, and horses—illustrated in the collage with serene coastal scenes and equestrian imagery—reflects a belief in the restorative power of the natural world, which has influenced my approach to wellbeing. These elements tie into my experiences in school and workplaces, where I navigated predominantly white, middle-class communities, reinforcing a sense of normalcy around my privileges.
Social identities further define me, including my race, gender, class, and experiences with mental health. As a white woman from a higher socioeconomic background, I benefit from systemic advantages in language (English as my primary tongue) and ability, though my personal journey with mental illness and anorexia nervosa introduces layers of vulnerability. The collage includes symbolic representations of this struggle, such as hospital-related motifs, reminding me of the isolation and advocacy required during recovery. This has deepened my empathy, particularly in community contexts where I volunteered or worked, teaching me the importance of resilience and support. Nonetheless, I recognise that my experiences occur within a framework of privilege, where barriers to care were minimal compared to those faced by marginalised groups. Overall, these aspects of my identity—cultural heritages blending British roots with Australian assumptions, a privileged upbringing, values centred on nature and exploration, and social positions marked by race and class—form the foundation from which I engage with concepts like Cultural Safety. They prompt me to critically examine how such positioning might inadvertently perpetuate assumptions in nursing practice (Zubrick et al., 2014).
Positioning in Relation to Country, Community, and Context
My positioning within the Australian context is intricately linked to my relationship with the lands I inhabit, as illustrated in the collage through maps of Sydney and images of urban and natural environments. Living and studying in Sydney, on the unceded lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, I acknowledge a superficial connection to Country, shaped more by recreational enjoyment of beaches and nature than by deep cultural or historical ties. This detachment stems from my settler background, where my family’s migration history aligns with colonial narratives, often overlooking Indigenous sovereignty. Indeed, my awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has developed primarily through formal education rather than personal interactions, given my privileged upbringing with minimal exposure. The collage highlights this through contrasting images: serene Sydney landscapes juxtaposed with symbols of travel, underscoring my transient engagement with place.
This positioning extends to broader community and contextual dynamics, where settler-colonial structures profoundly influence health, power, and privilege. Colonisation’s ongoing impacts, such as dispossession and intergenerational trauma, continue to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, including higher rates of chronic diseases and mental health challenges (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). As someone assumed to be ‘Australian’ due to my white appearance—despite my parents’ overseas birth—I navigate social spaces with unearned privileges, moving through communities, workplaces, and healthcare settings without the scrutiny faced by those from visibly diverse backgrounds. This ease of movement, however, blinds me to the systemic barriers others encounter, such as racism in healthcare that deters Indigenous peoples from seeking care.
Furthermore, my love for travelling, represented in the collage by snapshots from backpacking trips and a month-long volunteer teaching stint in rural Uganda, has broadened my worldview. Immersing myself in different cultures challenged my assumptions about privilege and resilience, fostering respect for diverse ways of life. Yet, applying this to the Australian context, I recognise how my identity as a white, privileged individual influences interactions in spaces dominated by settler norms. For example, in nursing education, I must confront how colonial legacies shape health inequities, including poorer access to services for Indigenous communities (Sherwood, 2013). This awareness encourages critical reflection on sovereignty and unceded lands, prompting me to consider how my positioning perpetuates power imbalances. Ultimately, these elements inform my understanding of Cultural Safety, defined as an environment where Indigenous peoples feel respected and free from assimilation pressures (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2011, adapted for Australian contexts), urging me to actively disrupt colonial influences in my practice.
Implications for My Future Nursing Practice
As a future registered nurse, reflecting on my identity and positioning profoundly shapes my approach to Cultural Safety when caring with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Recognising my privileged white, British/Scottish background and limited exposure to Indigenous communities, I commit to concrete actions that prioritise humility, active listening, and anti-racist advocacy. For instance, I will practice yarning—a culturally appropriate conversational method—to build trust and understand patients’ perspectives without imposing my own assumptions (Bessarab and Ng’andu, 2010). This involves setting aside preconceived notions about health needs and instead facilitating open dialogues that respect Indigenous knowledges and experiences.
Furthermore, ensuring informed consent will be central, particularly by explaining procedures in accessible ways and utilising interpreters when language barriers arise, thereby avoiding misunderstandings rooted in cultural differences. I plan to advocate against racism by challenging discriminatory practices in healthcare settings, such as unequal treatment, and supporting policies that address systemic inequities. Humility will guide me to acknowledge what I do not know, seeking guidance from Indigenous colleagues and elders to inform my care.
To sustain this, I will engage in continuous learning through professional development, such as workshops on Aboriginal health, and regularly seek feedback from patients and peers to assess my cultural competence. Accountability means documenting reflections on my practice and participating in audits that evaluate culturally safe care. By integrating these actions, I aim to mitigate the impacts of my positioning, fostering environments where Indigenous patients feel safe and empowered. This ongoing commitment not only aligns with nursing standards (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018) but also addresses the broader implications of colonisation on health, ensuring my practice contributes to equity and healing. (248 words)
Conclusion
In summary, this essay has explored my identity through cultural heritages, family influences, values, and social positions, revealing a privileged yet reflective self shaped by limited Indigenous exposure and personal health experiences. My positioning in relation to Country, Community, and Context highlights a detached connection to unceded lands and the privileges afforded by settler-colonial structures, influencing how I perceive power and health inequities. These insights directly inform my understanding of Cultural Safety, emphasising responsibilities such as humility and advocacy in nursing practice. Ultimately, this reflection underscores the importance of self-awareness in disrupting colonial legacies, ensuring that as a future nurse, I contribute to equitable care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. By committing to ongoing learning and accountability, I can translate personal growth into meaningful professional impact, fostering trust and respect in healthcare interactions.
References
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020) Australia’s health 2020: In brief. AIHW.
- Bessarab, D. and Ng’andu, B. (2010) ‘Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in Indigenous research’, International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), pp. 37-50.
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2018) Code of conduct for nurses. NMBA.
- Nursing Council of New Zealand. (2011) Guidelines for cultural safety, the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori health in nursing education and practice. NCNZ.
- Sherwood, J. (2013) ‘Colonisation – It’s bad for your health: The context of Aboriginal health’, Contemporary Nurse, 46(1), pp. 28-40.
- Zubrick, S.R. et al. (2014) The Australian Aboriginal child health survey: Findings from the Western Australian Aboriginal child health survey. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
