Hermeneutic notions augment cultural safety education

Nurses are beginning to demand educational approaches that confront racism, rather than teach cultural diversity. One example of the latter approach is the introduction of kawa whakaruruhau, or cultural safety, in nursing and midwifery education in New Zealand. In the nursing and midwifery context of kawa whakaruruhau, nurses and midwives recognize, respect, and nurture the unique cultural identity of New Zealand's indigenous people, the tangata whenua, and safely meets their needs, expectations, and rights. In this article, I integrate literature pertaining to the implementation of cultural safety with the findings of a hermeneutic project that described the experience of nursing people from cultures other than one's own, and argue that the Gadamerian notions of "horizon," "prejudice," and "play" can be used to facilitate understanding of the tensions and contradictions inherent in cross-cultural practice. In addition, I recommend strategies that enable students to explore the prejudices, paradoxes, and possibilities experienced personally and professionally. As Gadamer noted, the art is in seeing what is questionable. There is also art in knowing how to question in a manner that makes new understanding possible.