Cultural safety is a concept that is getting more attention in scientific literature related to the cultural dimension of care. Difficulty to grasp the meaning and implications for research, education and practice is frequently raised by the authors. A concept analysis inspired by the evolutionary method of Rodgers was performed to better understand its meaning and its utility to the various fields of nursing. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in the databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts to identify literature published between 1988 and 2012 and containing the expression "cultural safety". 68 documents were analyzed. Findings included attributes, antecedents and consequences of cultural safety. The evolution of cultural safety through the various sociocultural and political contexts and application domains is also addressed. Issues related to the definition and operationalization of the concept, as well as the ability to export it out of its context of emergence, are discussed. The concept of cultural safety needs further development and a theoretical integration before reaching a conceptual clarity and effective operationalization.