NCNZ Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Nursing ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: What year was Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed, and what is its significance for NZ nurses?
- 1840 ā it is the founding document of NZ and underpins nurses' obligations to MÄori health equity, partnership, and cultural safety (Correct answer)
- 1975 ā it established the Waitangi Tribunal
- 1900 ā it created the NZ health system
- 1984 ā it introduced the Nursing Council of NZ
Correct answer: 1840 ā it is the founding document of NZ and underpins nurses' obligations to MÄori health equity, partnership, and cultural safety
Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840 between MÄori rangatira and the British Crown. For nurses, it is the foundational document that establishes obligations under Domain 4 of the NCNZ Competencies regarding partnership, protection, and participation in MÄori health.
Question 2: What are the three principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi most commonly applied in health practice?
- Partnership, Participation, and Protection (Correct answer)
- Sovereignty, Citizenship, and Freedom
- KÄwanatanga, Rangatiratanga, and Åritetanga
- Equity, Access, and Outcome
Correct answer: Partnership, Participation, and Protection
The three principles most commonly applied in NZ health are: Partnership (working together), Participation (MÄori involvement at all levels of health decision-making), and Protection (active protection of MÄori health and cultural practices).
Question 3: What does the principle of 'Partnership' under Te Tiriti mean for nursing practice?
- Working collaboratively with MÄori patients, whÄnau, and MÄori health providers to plan and deliver care (Correct answer)
- Providing exactly the same care to all patients regardless of background
- Consulting MÄori leaders only at a policy level
- Employing MÄori nurses in senior positions only
Correct answer: Working collaboratively with MÄori patients, whÄnau, and MÄori health providers to plan and deliver care
Partnership in clinical nursing means actively collaborating with MÄori patients and whÄnau in care planning, engaging MÄori health workers (kaiÄwhina), and working with kaupapa MÄori services. It is an active, relational obligation.
Question 4: What does 'tino rangatiratanga' mean and how does it relate to nursing care of MÄori patients?
- Full chiefly authority/self-determination ā in nursing, it means supporting MÄori patients' right to make decisions about their own health and care (Correct answer)
- A MÄori word for patient consent only
- A legal term for land ownership with no relevance to health
- The MÄori name for community nursing
Correct answer: Full chiefly authority/self-determination ā in nursing, it means supporting MÄori patients' right to make decisions about their own health and care
Tino rangatiratanga means absolute sovereignty or self-determination. In health, it underpins MÄori patients' right to make autonomous decisions consistent with their cultural values, and MÄori communities' right to direct their own health services.
Question 5: The Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975 to hear MÄori claims. What is its relevance to the NZ health system?
- It can receive and report on claims about breaches of Te Tiriti in health policy, highlighting systemic inequities that affect MÄori health (Correct answer)
- It regulates health practitioner registration
- It funds MÄori health providers directly
- It sets clinical guidelines for hospitals
Correct answer: It can receive and report on claims about breaches of Te Tiriti in health policy, highlighting systemic inequities that affect MÄori health
The Waitangi Tribunal has heard numerous claims about health policy failures and Te Tiriti breaches (e.g., underfunding of MÄori health services). Its reports have influenced health policy and the establishment of bodies like Te Aka Whai Ora (MÄori Health Authority).
Question 6: Which action best demonstrates a nurse's fulfilment of the 'Participation' principle of Te Tiriti in their clinical role?
- Actively including MÄori patients and whÄnau in care planning decisions and facilitating MÄori health worker involvement (Correct answer)
- Noting the patient's ethnicity on the admission form
- Attending a MÄori cultural event once per year
- Using a translated pamphlet when available
Correct answer: Actively including MÄori patients and whÄnau in care planning decisions and facilitating MÄori health worker involvement
Participation means MÄori are meaningfully involved at all levels ā from individual care decisions (involving patients and whÄnau) to the broader health system (MÄori in governance and planning). Active inclusion in care planning is the bedside expression of this principle.
NCNZ Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Nursing
What year was Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed, and what is its significance for NZ nurses?