2018 Winner
Kate Neville – Speech Pathology student, Flinders University
Placement: McFarlane Primary School
Mapping my family tree, provided insight into kinship which has supported me to further understand and be respectful of the roles of extended family members in caring for Aboriginal children.
Read essay (PDF 178KB)
2018 Highly Commended
Rachel Jones – Nursing student, Charles Darwin University
Placement: Katherine District Hospital
The kinship system was demonstrated in a simplified form as part of the learning materials. After studying it for a few minutes, I realised that in that worldview, each Indigenous person had a formal relationship with every other Indigenous person in their family, in their community, in more distant communities, and in Indigenous communities throughout Australia.
Read essay (PDF 456KB)
Tessa Hood – Medical student, University of Wollongong
Placement: Katherine District Hospital
In my first week in Katherine, I noticed a distinct difference in how people were spoken to about their illnesses. Doctors were sitting on the bed with patients. They spoke to them about their family and communities first. Then they explained simply the process that was happening in their bodies. Finally, they explained the ideal treatment plan…. If the patient didn’t want the treatment, it was negotiated so that we aimed for best practice with the patient, their community and culture at the centre of the picture.
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Michaiah Cowley – Midwifery student, University of Technology Sydney
Placement: Katherine District Hospital
Cultural safety is largely about positioning the person in care at the centre of our services. I have learnt from my experiences in Katherine that it is important not to make any assumptions about what an individual may want in their care. Asking appropriate and well thought out questions, as well as reading verbal and nonverbal cues have become important practices for me to focus on to ensure I am comprehending the dynamics of each family and woman’s personality. It was a great opportunity for me to practice and gain more experience in observing and understanding Aboriginal families.
