A Bi-Cultural Multidisciplinary Approach to Achieving Excellence in Care for Indigenous Māori: Report From the Wānanga, Auckland, 2023

Abstract

Aims: To explore the alignment of nursing and healthcare practice illustrated in the Fundamentals of Care framework with Māori (Indigenous person of Aotearoa, New Zealand) worldviews using Indigenous methods.

Design: Discursive report.

Methods: In October 2023, around 50 healthcare professionals and Māori leaders from across Aotearoa, New Zealand, attended a wānanga, an Indigenous Māori approach for sharing knowledge and engaging in in-depth discussion and deliberation.

Results: Attendees understood the origins of the Fundamentals of Care framework and how it translates to practice. The depth and breadth of meaning when referring to Māori values and practices adds a layer of complexity when attempting to align Māori worldviews with the Fundamentals of Care framework. A key outcome of the day was a call for tāngata Tiriti (people of the Treaty-non-Māori) to continue to work in partnership with tāngata whenua (people of the land-Māori) to explore how the Fundamentals of Care framework could be used with a mode of practice that emphasises Māori values and practices such as whakawhanaungatanga (establishing relationships) and manaakitanga (showing respect, generosity and care for others).

Conclusion: Applying Indigenous methods to explore problems and co-create solutions offers the potential to advance health equity agendas. Wānanga, as a forum for engaging in the process of sharing, reflecting, discussing and learning, provides a mana-enhancing (strengths-based) space for tāngata whenua (people of the land-Māori) and tāngata Tiriti (people of the Treaty-non-Māori), to relate and collaborate. Additional wānanga are required to co-create a mode of practice that can be applied by all health professionals and that meets the needs of Māori.

Impact: This report addresses how the Fundamentals of Care framework can be scrutinised for its usefulness or adaptability to encompass Indigenous populations' culture and care needs. Critical points of difference between the Fundamentals of Care framework and Indigenous Māori worldviews exist and need further exploration. This report impacts the delivery of healthcare for Indigenous Māori and the provision of healthcare by all nurses.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution.

Keywords: Māori health; decolonising; establishing relationships; fundamentals of care; indigenising; indigenous health; mode of practice; model of care; wānanga.