Registered Nurse [Registered General and Obstetric Nurse RGON]. BA Anthropology. Doctor of Philosophy. ONZM 2003
Irihapeti Ramsden was the daughter of writer and historian Eric Ramsden and Merenia Manawatu, of Ngāi Tahu and Rangitāne iwi. She was born in 1946 and lived in Wellington. She trained as a nurse at Wellington Hospital from April 1963. After registration, Irihapeti was a ward sister at the Chest Hospital where she tried to initiate culturally appropriate parallel treatment and occupational therapy for her Māori patients.
In 1979, Irihapeti Ramsden enrolled at Victoria University of Wellington and studied for a degree in Anthropology. In the 1980s, Ramsden developed Kawa Whakaruruhau or Cultural Safety in Nursing Education, an approach to health care which was both original and controversial. She worked with the Department of Education in the 1980’s on a project to advise on Māori health content in nursing curricula. The approach required people and organisations in the health sector to consider Māori and other cultural identities that a patient brings with them as they access health services. Many of her recommendations were implemented into nursing and midwifery education; later adopted by other professions and movements in New Zealand and internationally. She conducted educational seminars on cultural safety, the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori health issues. She is described as having an astute lucid intelligence, a vibrant personality and a warm gentle style. She was an experienced communicator, her powers of gentle and logical persuasion, able to say difficult things that needed to be said.
Irihapeti Ramsden’s contribution to National Council of Māori Nurses Te Kaunihera O Nga Neehi Māori O Aotearoa, founded in the late 1970s, had significant impact on both the direction and leadership of the organisation. Her in-depth knowledge of Te Tiriti O Waitangi, her understanding of the discourse in Aotearoa/New Zealand history, her skill as a writer and storyteller, all culminated in the work of Kawa Whakaruruhau. She was able to move the embryonic thinking and the nexus of debates to a new paradigm of action.
In 1984, Irihapeti Ramsden was one of the women who formed the Spiral Collective to publish Keri Hulme's novel, The Bone People, which won the 1984 Booker Prize.
In 1992, Cultural Safety was incorporated into nursing education in New Zealand. She was a consultant to the Nursing Council of New Zealand [NCNZ], developing the original NCNZ cultural safety guidelines, advising on their implementation in schools of nursing and advising on their revision in 2001. She assisted NCNZ Council with auditing of undergraduate programmes, particularly the cultural safety standards. She represented Council in various forums, running Treaty of Waitangi workshops for staff. She provided sound advice to guide policy development on a range of issues; and critiquing NCNZ work to ensure it was appropriate for the tangata whenua. She provided assistance to schools of nursing on Council's behalf, in regards Māori education issues.
Dr Ramsden was active in supporting the development of the nursing profession and was a founding member of the College of Nurses Aotearoa New Zealand. The College of Nurses Aotearoa honoured her outstanding contribution to the college and the wider nursing profession by awarding her: He Poutokomanawa Mo nga neehi o Aotearoa.
In February 2001, Dr Ramsden was a consultant on the production of a special issue of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand devoted to cultural safety. This issue has become a collector's item. At New Zealand Nurses Organisation [NZNO] annual conference, Te Runanga presented Irihapeti with the inaugural Te Taonga a Akenehi Hei Memorial Award as a contribution to the centenary of nursing registration.
In 2002, Irihapeti Ramsden completed her Doctorate [PhD] through the Graduate School of Nursing and Midwifery at Victoria University of Wellington. Her thesis was titled Cultural Safety and Nursing Education in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. This work brought together fifteen years on cultural safety in nursing. The thesis records the powerful story of her work in introducing this concept in all nursing schools and curricula throughout the country. A second, supporting volume contains many of her articles, chapters, speeches, conference papers and broadcasts on this subject. The thesis also relates how her childhood and early experiences in nursing practice impelled her to work to achieve better access to health care for Māori and better health outcomes for all New Zealanders. The concept of cultural safety in nursing education challenged the profession but through Irihapeti's grace, gentleness, humour and understanding ensured her success in this work.
Dr Ramsden was a Fellow of the College of Nurses and convener of the Parallel Group of the Nursing Council Family Planning Association.
Dr Irihapeti Ramsden was invested as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit two weeks before she died, the honour having been announced in the 2003 New Year Honours
Irihapeti Ramsden died on 5 April 2003 at her Wellington home.
Not only was her influence on the development of the profession in Aotearoa profound, but the growth of her international reputation will mark her as one of the world's great nurse leaders. Her work on cultural safety has strongly influenced international health care delivery and education for many years to come. Irihapeti showed respect, consideration, sensitivity and fairness for everyone, regardless of social status, cultural background, gender or ethnicity. She is described to have lived out the value of safety in her every interaction.
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