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Task description
To successfully complete this assessment task, you will write a reflective essay about the importance of becoming a culturally safe health professional.
In the essay you will draw on the concepts of cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration to explain why it is important to:
Have ongoing learning and reflection on your own cultural beliefs, values and attitudes, and the influence these may have on providing health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Provide culturally safe and responsive health care for and with your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families
Advocate for health service delivery that ensures health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
You will draw on academic literature, research data, and three responses to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health-related stories you will write during your teaching intensives. Your essay will be informed by the central concepts within this unit: cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration.
Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria Measures (Unit) Intended Learning Outcome:
Criterion 1 Demonstrate skills in critical thinking and reflection. ILO3
Criterion 2 Analyse how culturally safe health care for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be informed by cultural safety, self-determination, and collaboration. ILO4
Criterion 3 Evidence of in-depth engagement with appropriate academic literature and other resources, using a minimum of 8 scholarly references. ILO5
Criterion 4 Adheres to presentation conventions: legibility, spelling, punctuation, grammar and referencing. ILO5
Marking rubric: Assessment Task 3
Carefully review the marking rubric for this assessment task. (pdf, 79.1KB)
Markers will be assessing your work against the assessment criteria in this rubric.
Other important information
Please read this information carefully in preparation for Assessment Task 3.
Format
Your essay should follow the following format:
Introduction: (approximately 150 words)
Briefly identify the main points that you will explore in the essay
Essay Body: (approximately 1,200 words)
Draw on the concepts of cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration to explain why it is important to:
Have ongoing learning and reflection on your own cultural beliefs, values and attitudes, and the influence these may have on providing health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Provide culturally safe and responsive health care for and with your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families
Advocate for health service delivery that ensures health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Conclusion: (approximately 150 words)
Summarise your main points in light of your reflection. Draw on these points in support of your argument for the importance of becoming a culturally safe health professional.
Word count
1,500 words
You will be penalised if you go over the word limit by 10% or under the word limit by 10%.
A ‘word’ is any word longer than one letter.
Quotations, journal extracts, citations of sources and the reference list are not part of the word count.
How do I present my essay?
DO I USE HEADINGS IN MY ESSAY? NO.
Please follow the School of Nursing Guide to Presenting Assignments: as found in the Assessment Resources folder in MyLO.
Please consult this document before asking questions about presentation issues.
If you ask a question about how to present your essay which is addressed in this guide, you will be directed to consult the guide.
How do I approach components one, two and three?
Component One: have ongoing learning and reflection on your own cultural beliefs, values and attitudes, and the influence these may have on providing health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
It is important to include reflection about how your own social and cultural locations, including your beliefs, values and attitudes, may influence your future health care practice with Aboriginal patients, their families, and Aboriginal health workers. Identify some actual beliefs, values and/or attitudes.
Component Two: provide culturally safe and responsive health care for and with your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families
Write from ‘I’: imagine yourself, as a health professional, interacting with Aboriginal patients, and their families. The focus is on your individual health care practice; describe some actual practices and strategies and how you will implement them.
Component Three: advocate for health service delivery that ensures health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Imagine you are working as a health professional in a health service of some kind: a hospital, community clinic etc. You need to write from ‘I’. Consider: what activities might you undertake to help create a health service which ensures health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples? Briefly explain your role in implementing these activities.
How do I utilise concepts of cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration?
How do I utilise the concepts of cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration to inform my discussion?
The first time you refer to the concept in your essay, briefly define and provide an academic reference.
Concepts are tools to help you explain the points you make in your essay and support your discussion.
Example: you might draw on the concept of self-determination to support the kinds of health service delivery advocacy strategies you suggest in your essay.
How many times do I have to use the concepts?
There is no ‘right’ number – more is not necessarily better! The key is to use the concepts in the most appropriate and accurate way in your essay. Take the time to think about this. This is how you show you understand the concepts.
You do not have to use all three concepts in relation to all three components of the essay.
Reflective thinking and writing
Watch Student Learning Advisor Jane Wang video about reflective thinking and writing in Module One (Step 1.20)
Reflective writing should demonstrate critical reading and thinking skills. The use of ‘I’ is expected in this assessment task (‘I think, I do not agree, I agree’, etc).
Reflection is an essential process in practice as a health professional. In this essay, we are not using a particular reflection framework – ie Driscoll’s. The use of ‘I/my’ is expected in this assessment task (‘I think, I agree, I would collaborate by, my attitude or belief’, etc) in all three components, and introduction and conclusion. This is an important aspect of reflective writing.
To write about your own attitudes, values, and beliefs, and future health care practice with insight, you need to reflect about your own complex identity and your own life. To reflect means to give serious thought: to consider, contemplate, and deliberate.
How much research am I expected to do?
You are expected to undertake research beyond the unit materials and use a range of books and journal articles.
A recommended list that provides a useful starting point can be found at the end of the unit outline. You are required to support your reflective essay with a minimum of 8 scholarly references.
You are expected to undertake research beyond the unit materials, and use a range of books and journal articles. It is fine to draw on some of the articles and books referred to in the unit, but you must also demonstrate you have undertaken your own independent research.
You are required to support your reflective essay with a minimum of 8 scholarly references. Try to find references from within the last ten years. If a reference is important to your essay, it is OK if it is older than ten years.
Referencing
Follow the guidelines for UTAS Harvard Referencing to attribute images and other source material accurately and completely
Please make sure, when referencing in-text, you include three elements: Surname (family name) of the author; Year of publication; Page number if quoting or closely paraphrasing an author’s work.
What counts as a scholarly resource?
A scholarly reference = academic articles, academic books and major government reports. Websites, videos, media reports and non-academic writing are not scholarly references.
Qualitative data is good: scholarly articles investigating topics relating to the essay question.
Quantitative data is good: ABS, AIHW.
How do I reference ABS or AIWH statistics in my essay?
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS) http://www.abs.gov.au/
There is information the ABS provides on its webpages, such as media releases. This information can be used in your essay, but it won't count as a scholarly reference.
The ABS also has electronic 'publications' which you can identify because they have a catalogue number ie. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, Australian Social Trends, cat. no. 4102.0. I suggest you refer to information that is part of an electronic publication with a catalogue number, as this will count as a scholarly reference.
To reference an ABS electronic publication
In-text: (ABS 2004)
In reference list/bibliography: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Australian Social Trends, cat. no. 4102.0, viewed insert date here, insert the URL here
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE (AIWH) http://www.aihw.gov.au
If you refer to data from one of AIWH's publications (which can be downloaded as a pdf) and reference the publication correctly, this will count as a scholarly reference.
In-text: (AIWH 2015)
In reference list/bibliography: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015. Australia's welfare 2015. Australia's welfare no. 12. Cat. no. AUS 189. Canberra: AIHW.
How do I find information and sources?
Make sure you have engaged with the Library research skills video (Module One: step 1.28 and the library research skills activities (Module One Step 1.29)
A good starting point is the HGA246 Library Reading List
Relevant key journals are listed at the end of the unit outline
Revisit the concepts from the unit that will help your analysis, your critical thinking
Use the library:
Develop keywords for your search
Search the library catalogue for books and journal articles
Search databases to find relevant journal articles
Relevant databases include: SAGE Journals, Wiley Online, SpringerLink, Proquest.
For help with using the library: https://www.utas.edu.au/library/study
Turnitin
It is a good idea to use the 'turnitin and academic writing' unit (link on front page of HGA246 MyLO). This site allows you to upload your work to Turnitin where you will receive an originality report which highlights the similarities of where your work matches other sources.
The similarity report is a great resource for learning about correct referencing!
Examine any text matching, and check that you have provided all the referencing details that you need.
How do I submit my essay?
Upload to the Reflective Essay assignment folder in MyLO.
Instructions on this process:
https://www.utas.edu.au/mylo/student-support/student-resources/section-02/submitting-an-assignment
Do I need a coversheet?
No! You are not required to use a coversheet. However, it is advisable to place your name and a page number on each page of your work.
How do I get help with my essay writing skills?
UTAS has free online 24-hour study help, anywhere, anytime: Studiosity.
You can choose to upload a draft of your writing any time and get it back with constructive general academic literacy feedback on structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling and referencing within 24 hours.
You can also connect in real-time to have an online one-to-one chat with a subject specialist if you need help with Essay Writing.
The link to 24-hour study help is on the right hand side of the screen of all your MyLO units. Each student is provided 10 sessions per semester, split between written feedback or real-time sessions as you see fit.
If you need English language support, The University of Tasmania provides a range of English Language supports for all students (International, CALD and domestic) who wish to develop further their spoken and/or written English language skills: https://www.utas.edu.au/students/learning/english-language-support
I've got a question about the essay, what do I do?
FIRST!
Ensure you have carefully reviewed the information in the Unit Outline about AT3, and the information on this webpage.
Visit the ‘AT2 reflective essay’ discussion board, listed under the ‘Assessment Discussion’ on MyLO
Check to see if your query has already been responded to.
Post a thread with your query
If you post a question that has already been responded to, you will be directed to where you will find the response in the discussion board
I would like to discuss my report with the teaching team, how do I organise this?
If you would like to discuss your essay, send an email to request a time via the unit email address: hga246@utas.edu.au
At least 24 hours before the scheduled time, you will need to email a report plan (an outline of the key points you plan to make in your report) to: hga246@utas.edu.au
At the meeting you can discuss your report plan with a member of the teaching team.
They can provide some directions for you to further develop your essay plan.
Please note the teaching team will not be providing feedback on report drafts as it is not possible for us to equitably offer this service to all students.
Meetings can be booked up to 3 days prior the deadline.
What are the penalties for late submission?
Following SoN policy, assessments submitted without an approved extension after the due date will have a penalty of 5% of the total marks available applied per working day past the due date.
Assessments submitted without an approved extension after seven (7) days from the due date will not be marked and the student will receive a mark of zero for the assignment.
These are strict penalties, so if you need an extension, please get in touch with your campus coordinator.
Marking and feedback
You will be marked against the marking rubric designed for this assessment task. You are strongly encouraged to view the rubric before completing your submission.
You will receive your results and feedback via MyLO, in accordance with the timescales outlines in theSchool of Nursing assessment guidelines.
Extensions
Extensions will be offered according to the School of Nursing assessment guidelines. You can also find these guidelines in the “Assessment help and resources” section in MyLO.
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