specialty focus staff has recently been mandated by NSW Health .
The laTesT news and resources for healThcare professionals
Please call 02 9936 8666 or email subs @ apned . com . au to find out more .
specialty focus staff has recently been mandated by NSW Health .
NSW Health told Nursing Review that it partners with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council ( AH & MRC ) to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the healthcare system through mandatory cultural training implemented last year and the 2022-2024 ‘ Closing the Gap ’ implementation plan .
The plan states it aims to afford long and healthy lives to Indigenous people through addressing the lack of cultural safety in the healthcare system , with the aim to improve life expectancy , birthweight , early childhood development and social and emotional wellbeing .
Closing the gap also includes transforming government organisations into culturally safe bodies , and letting Aboriginal voices come to the forefront and provide care for their peers .
“ NSW Health and the health system more broadly are also working to increase the proportion of Aboriginal people in the health workforce across all salary bands as a key factor in improving the access and equity of health services ,” a spokesperson from NSW Health said .
“ A strong Aboriginal communitycontrolled health sector is central to closing the gap , delivering culturally safe and locally led programs and maintaining continuity of care between primary health and hospital care .”
NSW Health said they maintain a strong partnerships with the AH & MRC to create holistic care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through local health districts .
VR TRAINING FOR CULTURALLY SAFE LEARNING A new virtual patient simulator , Shadow Health by Elsevier , aims to combat healthcare inequality for Indigenous Australians by teaching student nurses to tailor care to culturally diverse patients in an interactive environment .
Kayla Cartledge , founder of cultural learning platform Our Songlines and
Gurindji woman , was consulted by Elsevier in creating the Wiradjuri Allyra Watts avatar . Ms Cartledge told Nursing Review that cultural barriers often stop nurses and doctors from understanding the needs of First Nation Australians .
“ We ’ ve found a lot of the time , [ Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ] patients leave [ an appointment ] and don ’ t understand what ’ s wrong , or they might be handed drugs or medicine and they don ’ t understand why they ’ re taking it , or what its side effects are ,” she said .
“ It ’ s so embedded that it ’ s considered normal to walk away not knowing what you ’ re doing .”
Ms Cartledge said she hopes the character will close this gap in healthcare that so many Indigenous people experience .
“ We wanted it to be a younger person who was not the stereotypical Aboriginal person shown in the media . We wanted her to be strong and confident , but still struggling in the health system ,” Ms Cartledge said . ■
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The laTesT news and resources for healThcare professionals
Nursing Review is essential reading for anyone involved in the healthcare sector in Australia . It provides unrivalled coverage of specialist topics from features and opinion pieces , to international news and profiles .
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