Prince George, B.C.- There is now a text book on Aboriginal health care and it  has been written by an instructor at the College of New Caledonia.

Dr. Vasiliki Douglas (in photo at right) says while she was aware there had been a  lot of research on Aboriginal health she was surprised to find no one  had  developed a textbook to  introduce nursing students to the subject.

The book has two parts, with the first focusing  on Aboriginal Culture and Health and the importance of cultural safety in health care. Cultural safety is defined as ” a set of practices  used to treat  patients from diverse cultural backgrounds so patients may be treated without denial of their identities, and also feel spiritually and emotionally supported through their treatment.”

The second part of the book  looks at Aboriginal health and the Canadian Health Care System  and examines  issues such as diet and nutrition, disease, mental health and the health of women and children.

Dr. Douglas is working on a manuscript for another textbook that will have a focus on Aboriginal women’s health in Canada.