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Culturally Responsive Nursing Practice with Refugee Populations

I have had both a challenging and intriguing journey in developing skills in providing “culturally safe care.” From the experience, I dig into my individual growth and development in understanding multicultural health. Specifically, “Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice framework,” “the social determinants of health,” “a cultural health belief,” and “key issues affecting refugees in Australia” are my areas of consideration. Therefore, I evaluate my approach to practicing, specifically assessing how it embodied an alignment with culturally safe nursing care.

Significant Experience…

My clinical experience exposed me to working with refugees. One of the significant experiences was caring for a Syrian refugee woman who recently arrived in Australia, presenting with type 2 diabetes, which we immediately identified as poorly controlled. To me, the event was meaningful for improving how I understand and engage in culturally responsive practice (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). It was also a crucial experience for highlighting the intersectionality between social determinants of health and refugee experiences. This experience satisfied “Competence Standard 1.1” from “Cultural Awareness” Domain 1, urging practitioners to always acknowledge and respect cultural diversity when delivering healthcare. Our major worry was that the Syrian refugee was not ready to engage in healthcare services due to mistrust and language barriers.

Through the experience, I now understand that patient interactions depend on culture. Initially, I barely realized how cultural elements influence how practitioners build trust with their patients. Yet, after witnessing this reluctance, I have now realized the role of understanding cultural backgrounds in care outcomes and fostering better communication. This included understanding effective use of interpreter services and explaining the treatment plan carefully for the patient to see these considerations to be in line with the framework’s recommendation of promoting “culturally sensitive communication” (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). I consider this understanding in my workplace for equipping myself with the skills and competence to build stronger relationships with diverse patients, prevent misunderstandings and improve treatment medication adherence. However, I cannot consider myself fully competent in managing and navigating complex cultural dynamics. Therefore, further training through cultural competence workshops may enhance these crucial skills. Besides, the knowledge has prompted me into adopting multidimensional communication strategies. I have already embarked on incorporating interpreter support, visual aids, and family-inclusive consultations, meeting standard 1.1 of “MRWHP, 2019.”

Social Determinants of Health…..

Social determinants of health like access to education influence health outcomes (World Health Organization, 2020). This practice has improved my understanding of how barriers to education impact Australia’s refugees, especially Syrian refugees. From analyzing the determinant, it shows that low health literacy, especially conflict-induced disruption in education, impedes the ability of these refugees to effectively navigate different healthcare systems (Tseng et al., 2025). It is a crucial determinant in my practice, specifically informing my patient education diversity that should be culturally appropriate and accessible. An alternative approach to explaining this problem or challenge is how displacement and trauma have compounding effects, further limiting opportunities for education (Uphoff et al., 2020). My response and plan to address this is by advocating for individualized and properly aligned health education programs targeting refugee communities.

Cultural Health Beliefs….

In my practice and engagement, the Syrian cultural health belief was a key learning point. I learned about their herbal remedies, like chamomile tea for relieving stress. Therefore, by exploring this practice, I can confidently integrate culturally aligned solutions or interventions into care plans, but they have to be evidence-based and safe (Shahin et al., 2021). One of my roles during placement involved discussing how chamomile can calm the body, a key decision that built trust with the Syrian patient and improved their adherence to treatment. It is an important belief in my practice since it has gotten me accustomed to respecting the patient’s culture while concurrently ensuring clinical safety. The image below shows the chamomile tea preparation process in a typical Syrian household.

Chamomile tea preparation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWYBDFW79SE

Principal Health Issues....

The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide has guided me in evaluating mental health (Refugeehealthguide.org.au, 2023), especially “post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” a serious problem common among Syrian refugees. Specifically, I learned about a common concern over Syrian refugees experiencing PTSD due to conflict-associated trauma; there are there are already 30% reported cases in Australia (Refugeehealthguide.org.au, 2023). From this analysis, the experience has shown me the different manifestations of PTSD through avoidance behaviors and anxiety, which is higher engagement in healthcare.

The guide states that an evidence-based treatment should be “trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).” Here, structured sessions focus on addressing memory triggers for trauma and developing effective strategies for coping. Furthermore, it is significant knowledge that will influence or improve my practice by empowering my advocacy role for empathetic care and appropriate referrals.

Conclusion

The reflection has broadened how I understand what “culturally responsive nursing practice” means. Initially, I barely acknowledged the role of “cultural awareness, traditional beliefs, and social determinants” in influencing health outcomes. Yet, the experiences have empowered me as a fully equipped practitioner to provide “culturally safe care.” Conversely, being uncertain about responding to every cultural challenge calls for continuously seeking mentorship and engaging with refugee communities. The knowledge and insight shall be crucial for my future practice; it will empower me towards inter-professional collaboration and promoting patient safety.

References

Shahin, W., Kennedy, G. A., Cockshaw, W., & Stupans, I. (2021). The effect of acculturation and harm beliefs on medication adherence on Middle Eastern hypertensive refugees and migrants in Australia. International journal of clinical pharmacy, 43(5), 1283-1292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-021-01248-9

Uphoff, E., Robertson, L., Cabieses, B., Villalón, F. J., Purgato, M., Churchill, R., & Barbui, C. (2020). An overview of systematic reviews on mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment of common mental disorders for refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013458.pub2

Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership. (2019). Culturally responsive clinical practice: Working with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds -Jan2019.pdf

Refugeehealthguide.org.au. (2023). Australian refugee health practice guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/

Tseng, K. W., Mohabbat, H., Adachi, A., Calaguas, A., Kaur, A., Salem, N., & Goliaei, Z. (2025). Reproductive health literacy and knowledge among female refugees: A scoping review of measurement methodologies and effect on health behavior. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071121

World Health Organization. (2020). Social determinants of health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health.