Spotlight on indigenous health

Nursing authorities and registering bodies have now taken up the challenge of addressing health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by mandating for the inclusion of a compulsory and discrete unit of study in undergraduate nursing curricula. The University of Notre Dame has two campuses in Western Australia, one in Fremantle and the other In Broome. The School of Nursing, Fremantle has been running an Aboriginal health unit in the third year of the program since 2003. The unit is delivered by Marion Kickett, a Noongar woman. Marion is a nurse, has qualifications in Aboriginal studies from the University of Sydney, and is a PhD candidate at the University of WA. Nursing students in Broome do two units, Aboriginal People (first year), and Spirituality and the Challenges of Reconciliation (third year). Broome students also have the unique opportunity to experience Aboriginal health care in real and practical ways throughout their three years in the Northwest of Western Australia. It is a life-changing experience for these students. The article discusses the efforts of nursing authorities to address the health needs of Indigenous people. The two campuses of the University of Notre Dame in Western Australia have Aboriginal health units. The Fremantle campus runs the Aboriginal health unit, while the Broome campus has the Aboriginal People and Spirituality units. Lecturer Marion Kickett recalled that students, at first, were angry with the units, but later on became interested