Whiteness in Nursing and Midwifery in Australia

This chapter explores the concept of Whiteness in helping professions from the perspective of Australian nurses and midwives. The history of nursing and midwifery in Australia has influenced the development of systems and processes built on White privilege. Nursing inherently has both an art and science, and deeply rooted Whiteness and biomedical constraints are placed upon the profession. This chapter will begin with defining Cultural Safety and then moves to an exploration of the impact of colonization on the development of nursing and midwifery as helping professions. Exploration of this historically will consider how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were largely excluded from entering the professions. It will then trace the impact of Whiteness that remains today and how this impacts the nursing and midwifery workforce from an Australian perspective. Finally, the chapter will consider how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives have been powerful change agents in creating a hopeful future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait nurses and midwives to flourish and impact positively on the health and wellbeing of their community. Overcoming the Whiteness within these professions is essential in crafting culturally safe nursing and midwifery professions moving forward.