Exploring Indigenous Cultural Bias and the Impact on the Mother-Nurse Dynamic and Care within a Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Purpose/goals: To describe the experiences of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses when caring for families and their neonates from Indigenous communities. To propose a strengths-based approach for providing culturally competent care for families in the NICU. Session description: The political and social climates within Canada are currently centred on Indigenous well-being. Within our healthcare system there are many preconceived notions of Indigenous populations resulting in cultural misunderstanding and mistrust. These presumed biases can often lead to negative health outcomes. The literature supports the notion that these biases may impact the nurse-mother dynamic within the NICU. This presentation seeks to explore this phenomena through a comprehensive literature review, while identifying the factors influencing these biases. Furthermore, we probe how these biases affect the dynamic between the nurse and mother, subsequently altering the care during the NICU hospitalization experiences. Nurses within the NICU are in a unique position to offer an unparalleled opportunity to enhance the overall experience of Indigenous families, and to provide holistic care and education in a culturally safe environment. Learning outcomes: 1. Identify bias in the care of Indigenous populations within this specialized healthcare setting, and how these biases may affect the mother-nurse dynamic and care of the child. 2. Identify strategies for promoting culturally competent care using a strengths-based approach for these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]