Video on cultural safety released to mark World Radiography Day and NAIDOC week

06 Nov 2020

The Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (the Board) has published a new video on cultural safety.

The video, launched to mark World Radiography Day held every year on 8 November and NAIDOC Week which this year runs from 8-15 November, reminds all medical radiation practitioners that cultural safety is an important aspect of safe patient care.

This is the third video in the series to support practitioners and stakeholders to understand the revised Professional capabilities for medical radiation practice. The two other videos released have covered the topics ‘See something, say something’ and responding to deteriorating patients.

Board Chair Mr Mark Marcenko said the Board wanted to share the important message that the way patients are treated, and the environment they are treated in, can have a large positive cultural and health impact.

‘Putting patients at the centre of care and acknowledging the need for practitioners to build their awareness of cultural safety is a key component of contemporary practice,’ he said.

‘We can build and maintain trust by respecting and listening to differing cultural perspectives and reflecting on our practice, acknowledging our biases, and supporting the rights and dignity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,’ he said.

The professional capabilities came into effect earlier in the year and ensure that the medical radiation practice workforce is ready for, and adaptable to, technological change while continuing to provide safe contemporary care.

The video supplements a range of resources developed to help Australia’s 18,216 medical radiation practitioners understand what the professional capabilities mean and how they can apply them to their practice.

The resources include fact sheets for education providers and clinical supervisors, frequently asked questions and a policy to help practitioners to communicate safely if urgent or unexpected findings are identified.

To watch the video and find out more about the professional capabilities go to the Board’s website.

For more information
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200.
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9285 3010 (overseas callers).