16 March 2023
Thursday, March 16, marked National Close the Gap Day – which advocates for health equity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) is committed to improving outcomes for ATSI people including through providing career opportunities which will in turn boost health outcomes for patients.
“The health status of ATSI people is still significantly poorer than that of non-Indigenous Australians across a range of areas such as life expectancy, chronic disease and mental health,” said ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM.
“By increasing the representation of ATSI nurses and midwives in the workforce, we can have an enormous impact on improving the health of these communities.”
Aboriginal student Stephanie Hernandez, who is studying a Diploma of Nursing through the ANMF (SA Branch)’s Australian Nursing and Midwifery Education Centre, says having more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) nurses is “crucial”.
“There’s a lot more trust in the system that, ‘Hey, my nurse is Aboriginal, I feel comfortable, she knows my struggles, she knows what I’ve been going through – our past, our culture, our history.”
More information on Closing the Gap can be found
here.