caring and community
Caring and Community: stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives celebrates the pivotal contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives to our health care
Read it nowshining the spotlight
Every opportunity to recognise and honour the significant contribution of nurses and midwives to our health care system is worth taking. Through their dedication, care and guidance, they make a difference each and every day. Yet the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives — so pivotal to Australian health care — is too often unsung. Caring and Community celebrates thousands of years of traditional birthing and healing practice by acknowledging their contributions, and their journeys.
what they say
I know that seeing Aboriginal nurses and midwives changes the perception of what Aboriginal people can be and do; we are role models in the community and can be protagonists for change if we are supported.
what they say
I want to be a good role model; to show Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people young and old that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve whatever you want.
what they say
I’ve spent a lifetime working to cure sickness and alleviate suffering, but I still believe that the biggest disease – and the hardest to defeat – is racism.
about the stories
Caring and Community showcases eleven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives who have made an indelible impact on the communities in which they work and live, and on the Australian health system. We shine a light on their diverse careers, celebrate their achievements, and recognise some of the barriers they have overcome to achieve success.
But these stories are just one way we can mark this well-deserved recognition. In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives, we’re working to support greater representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives in the health system, and to create a health system where self-determination is the norm and cultural responsiveness the standard practice. In our efforts to bridge this gap, HESTA was the first Industry Super Fund to adopt and implement a Reconciliation Action Plan, or RAP, to guide our efforts to build stronger partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As part of the RAP, we made a commitment to increase awareness of the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurse, to promote the genesis of culturally safe nursing and midwifery practices. These stories highlight their important ongoing contribution to public health, so their work may be valued properly and, as a result, their retirement outcomes improved.
We acknowledge and appreciate the assistance of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM) in providing ‘warm’ referrals to these nurses and midwives at the start of this project. Most importantly we’d like to thank the participants for sharing their deeply personal stories, especially when they weren’t always easy to tell.
what HESTA stands for
