Research in nursing and cultural diversity: working with first nations peoples

The current Canadian demographic profile indicates a society that is ethnically, culturally, and racially plural (Masi, 1993). Such diversity in our population is likely to increase with broad-based immigration, the implications of which have not been well addressed in nursing and health care. While nurses and other health-care professionals must attend to understanding the cultural aspects of health and healing, there is little published valid and reliable research to assist with this, especially with respect to specific populations. Research approaches and designs must be culturally suitable to the specific populations, to generate valid knowledge about their culture and to develop theory, and to translate that into culturally suitable nursing and health care. In the past, many culturally diverse groups have been the subject of research that has been culturally inappropriate, patronizing, culturally threatening, and disempowering. This paper discusses critical ethnography as a culturally suitable research method and describes its application to studies involving First Nations (FN) peoples. Important issues in doing culturally suitable research, such as partnerships, ethical concerns, and ownership, are also discussed.