Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori Health, Kawa Whakaruruhau, Cultural Safety: Guidance for Nursing Education and Practice
The Nursing Council has released updated guidance to support
nurses, nurse educators and employers to deliver culturally safe care across all
nursing contexts in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This guidance provides:
- foundational and contemporary understanding of Te Tiriti o
Waitangi as it applies to nursing
- the historical development and purpose of Kawa Whakaruruhau
(cultural safety within a Māori context)
- broader cultural safety concepts relevant to all population
groups
- practical direction for embedding culturally safe practice,
education and professional development
- context for the Council’s updated standards of competence
(2025).
This document replaces the Guidelines for Cultural Safety,
the Treaty of Waitangi, and Māori Health in Nursing Education and Practice
(2011).
He kōrero hītori | Background
The updated guidance is grounded in more than three decades of work led by nurses, educators and communities seeking safer, more equitable care for
Māori. Cultural safety emerged in the late 1980s, shaped by the experiences of
Māori nursing students and teachers who identified the urgent need for nursing
education to confront racism, bias and the unequal health outcomes faced by
Māori.
At the heart of this movement was Dr Irihapeti Ramsden (Ngāi
Tahu, Rangitāne) – a visionary nurse, anthropologist and educator whose work
transformed nursing both here and internationally. Dr Ramsden challenged the
profession to look inward, to recognise the power nurses hold, and to
understand that safety is defined by those receiving care, not by those
providing it.
This updated guidance continues the legacy of her moemoeā vision – a health system
where everyone is respected, heard and empowered. It reflects the ongoing
commitment of Māori nurse leaders and the profession, to uphold Te Tiriti o
Waitangi and advance health equity for Māori.