workforce
What are some of the contributions of
Indigenous nurses that you hope will be
spotlighted through the collaboration?
Well, I think it’s unmasking that historical
blind spot. When the first fleet arrived here
in Australia, they probably didn’t have a
lot of medicine, so we actually had bush
nurses that had medicinal therapies that
they provided to the first colonial settlers
of Australia.
Also, shining a spotlight on the fact that
there were midwifery practices already in
place before the first formal schools were
established here in Australia.
With shining that light on the true history
of Australia, there’s also one of the pillars
of reconciliation – that we have historical
acceptance.
I think the thing we’re also doing is
highlighting our Aboriginal nurses and
midwives.
We know that May Yarrowick was
possibly our first nurse in 1903. She
really was a trailblazer. This was a time
when Australian legislation was such that
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
weren’t included in the census.
It was not easy for us to get jobs, and
here we have an Aboriginal woman who
became a nurse and took care of both
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in
Australia as a nurse.
Why is that particularly important
that we hear about this history and
the work of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nurses from the nurses
themselves?
I think some of it is really about pride
and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people at large, but more
importantly for Aboriginal nurses and
midwives is that there are these trailblazers
that have burst through these glass ceilings
for us to be able to do the roles that we
are undertaking now.
It’s also about pride in doing this work.
What we’re able to bring together are
historical accounts that can be retold to
both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal nurses
studying in the profession.
There’s that affirmation for Aboriginal
nurses and midwives that we don’t often
hear about within our nursing degrees,
about the historical accounts of our people
in nursing and midwifery.
We certainly hear about people like
Florence Nightingale, but that’s not really
reflecting who we are and having that pride
in our culture and our identities and our
forefathers in these professions.
What are some of the ways that sharing
these stories may shape the future
Indigenous health workforce?
I think I’ve already mentioned that joint pride
for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
people, that true account of history.
Hopefully, that will help for recruitment and
retention of Aboriginal people in nursing
and midwifery. Having this history integrated
into our curriculum will certainly ensure
that. Role modelling is another way, as I’ve
said, and also that this is a strength-based
approach. Often when we’re learning about
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health,
we’re learning about the problems that we
These trailblazers
have burst through glass
ceilings for us to be able
to do the roles we are
undertaking now”
face as Indigenous people, but these are
some good news stories. So I think that this
can only be beneficial.
What else do you hope comes from
elevating the stories of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander nurses?
The other work we would like to see is that
this is really about leadership in this space,
so I would love to see other superannuation
funds work with their members in doing this
type of work.
Why couldn’t we do this internationally?
Hear about indigenous nurses and midwives
across the globe?
I would hope that other organisations
and professions, such as the allied health
professions and doctors, if they haven’t
already, could take our leadership and also
undertake this work. ■
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