Читать книгу Becoming a Reflective Practitioner - Группа авторов - Страница 91

Understanding and shifting our attitudes is not easy as often we are not even aware of them, buried as they are deep within ourselves. Research (Stockwell 1972; Johnson and Webb 1995; Trexler 1995) suggests that we are less likely to relate to people who are different from us for whatever reason epitomised in the phrase ‘the unpopular patient’. It is a fact of life and they must be confronted if we are to be truly person‐centred. Through reflection, we become aware of our attitudes and whether they are appropriate to hold in light of responding differently in tune with our vision. Attitudes such as racism are deeply embedded in society. Practitioners may aspire to responding to people with equality and cultural safety but making it a reality requires a massive radical shift that may seem beyond the individual healthcare practitioner. The challenge is to make a personal difference through one’s actions and, in doing so, confronting and influencing colleagues towards ensuring cultural safety can become a collective organisational reality. The time is currently ripe to stand up and voice this message. Perhaps wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ badge will help just as professional footballers are wearing this message on the backs of their football shirts.⁷ Practitioners can take the moral high ground and espouse what person‐centred practice really means in terms of equality and cultural safety.