First Nations nurses and midwives honoured through story
Tuesday, 06 July, 2021
To shine a light on the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives, has launched a new publication that pays tribute to their important contributions to better health outcomes.
鈥楥aring and Community: Stories from Aboriginal nurses and midwives鈥 celebrates thousands of years of birthing and healing practice by acknowledging the contributions and journeys of 11 nurses and midwives.
Lesley Salem, the first Aboriginal person to become a nurse practitioner in Australia, whose story is featured in Caring and Community, is determined to improve the health and welfare of Aboriginal people.
鈥淚鈥檝e experienced a lot of discrimination in my life 鈥 as a woman, as an Aboriginal person and as a nurse 鈥 but I鈥檝e never wavered in my determination to make a difference for our community,鈥 Salem said, adding that more could be done to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the medical field.
鈥淲e need cadetship programs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Units at universities to encourage younger Aboriginal people to enter nursing and midwifery.鈥
HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said these nurses and midwives show incredible dedication, care and guidance every day and have had a significant impact on their communities.
鈥淭hese professionals are improving the cultural safety and responsiveness of health care, which we know is critical to achieving health equity,鈥 Blakey said.
鈥淎boriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives build trust and confidence in their communities to engage with the health system and access critical services.
鈥淎round the country, our members are working hard to close the gap on health outcomes and, in doing so, are inspiring the next generation of health professionals. We鈥檙e so proud to help highlight their important stories and keep advocating on their behalf for the financial future they deserve.鈥
HESTA was the first industry super fund to implement a Reconciliation Action Plan, which included commitments to raise awareness of the contributions of First Nations nurses and midwives and increase confidence and choice in retirement for all members, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
鈥淔rom engaging with companies on cultural heritage protection to manage financial risk, to highlighting the work of our First Nations nurses and midwives, these are some of the ways HESTA is working to advocate for and improve retirement outcomes for our members,鈥 Blakey said.
To read the stories, visit .
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