Professional Experience Placement

The Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses (CATSIN) have released a document ‘towards a shared understanding of terms and concepts’. The intent of the document is to mystify and provide an understanding of words and concepts such as cultural respect, safety and competence. The aim of the CATSIN document is to provide definitions that will promote shared understandings. This document uses the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Ethics and other key documents that underpin registration as a guide. Each of cultural respect, safety and competence are aptly described with an historical and political context. Using the headings of term, key point, utility and outcome the document offers a summary in the form of a table. The authors conclude by emphasising that nurses and midwives need to understand the inherent power imbalance in the nurse-patient relationship and how this power applies to their own relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island patients.

I urge you to read this document as it provides a succinct and clear explanation that can guide the conduct of our profession. The implications for clinical supervision are direct and potentially very powerful  as part of a clinical supervisors role is to model attitudes and behaviour.  Supervisors support and guide the next generation of nurses and this document goes a long way to demystify and provide opportunity for shared understanding.

If you have any comments about the role of clinical supervision in relation to the CATSIN document you are welcome to post it here.