The considerable health disparity between Australia’s Non-Indigenous and Indigenous people can be significantly improved by educating more Indigenous nurses
Keywords: health disparity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians, educating more Indigenous nurses.
Indigenous Australians’ health inequality is a national problem in Australia. In particular, Indigenous Australians lack the opportunities other Australians enjoy to be healthy. I agree that the significant health disparity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians can be considerably increased by educating more Indigenous nurses. Many reports point out that Indigenous health is poor comparing to Non-Indigenous Australians. It made me surprised that Australia is one of the wealthier countries in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Why is this happening?
In this essay, I will illustrate the health inequalities between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians by firstly describing the disparity of health problems. This is followed by a discussion of how to improve and to educate more Indigenous nurses to solve these problems. I believe that these inequalities between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians are preventable by educating more Indigenous nurses. It is argued that a combination of fundamental changes in education and government supports can be able to influence Indigenous people to enrol and to access university study.
Firstly, Indigenous Australians have less access to primary health care because of poor health linkages, and fewer health services in the areas where most live (ABS & AIHW cited in Turale & Miller 2006, p.173). This statement is supported by Ring (2003, pp.3-12 cited in Armstrong 2004, p.16) that the remoteness of the area where Indigenous people live in possibly makes it more difficult for them to access health services when in need, which contributes to higher mortality rates. In contrast, the Non-Indigenous Australians can have full access to primary health care such as they can see a doctor when they need to (Australian Human Rights Commission 2010).
Secondly, there is a disparity amongst life expectancy between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Life expectancy of Indigenous Australians are 67.2 years for men and 72.9 years for women, while the average life expectancy of Non-Indigenous Australians are 78.7 years for men and 82.6 years for women based on 2005–2007 data (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2009).
These two problems are complex issues, caused by the interrelationship of many contributing factors. One of these is poor education background of Indigenous people. I understand that there is a powerful relationship between education and health. People with no educational qualifications fail to get a good job and make some money to lead a good health life (Booth & Caroll 2005, p.2). As a result, the Indigenous people do not have a good awareness of how important of taking care of their own health (Turale & Miller 2006, p.173). Furthermore, they are more likely to be indulged in some negative behaviour such as smoking, and consuming of alcohol (Friel 2009, p.18).
There are two ways to reducing the health disparity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians including training Indigenous nurses and improving access to primary health care. The real challenge is how to create opportunities for Indigenous people into university program especially in nursing study. Armstrong (2004, p.160) says the fundamental changes in education system can lead more Indigenous people to access university study. The beginning step could be promoted intelligent Indigenous youth in late primary school, who demonstrate an interest in a career in nursing (Huggonson 2001, p.3). Moreover, the Indigenous Nursing Education Working Group (INEWG) suggests that the provision of support can help Indigenous youth to improve their involvement in nursing academia such as providing scholarships, and travelling allowances for those attending clinical places in rural and remote areas as well as facilitating clinical practice in local hospitals (Turale & Miller 2006, pp.174-175).
Another strategy is opening small campuses controlled by a university in rural and remote places (Huggonson 2001, p.3). For example, a satellite campus established by James Cook University (JCU) on Thursday Island delivers the undergraduate nursing course by mixed mode, supplemented by specific strategies designed to improve Indigenous students recruitment and retention and thus increase the likelihood of graduation (Usher & Lindsay 2009, pp.437-441). Moreover, the Indigenous nurses can be educating in their local hospitals and getting incentive programs from a university (Huggonson 2001, p.3). Furthermore, the nursing university system is to be streamlined for Indigenous enrolment and particular places for Indigenous students (Turale & Miller 2006, pp.174-175).
Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN) is encouraging Australia nursing degree to offer compulsory study units associated with Indigenous culture, health and history (Dragon 2007, p.3). This recommendation is supported by Armstrong (2004, p.16) that these curricula will be beneficial for nursing students to have better understanding for providing appropriate care for Indigenous people in the future nursing practise. Furthermore, the reformation of nursing content can influence Indigenous people entry into the nursing degree (Turale & Miller 2006, p.171). Clearly, this strategy will be able to educate more Indigenous nurses (Dragon 2007, p.23). In addition, government supports play an important role to facilitate more Indigenous people to enter university program (Dragon 2007, pp.23-24). For example, government contributes $10 M to the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at Flinders University in Adelaide, aims to increase in the number of Indigenous students studying health profession programs such as medicine and nursing (Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) 2010). CRCAH also states that the Poche centre led by a senior Indigenous academic.
Lastly, the role model of Indigenous nursing students can be other solutions to encourage the Indigenous people joining nursing degree (Dragon 2007, p.24). To quote from Copley (cited in Dragon 2007, p.24), one of 12 indigenous students out of 500-600 students in Flinders university, says “I am 54 you are 24 tell me why you cannot do this?”. He claims that no matter how old the Indigenous people are, they should believe that they still have chance to pursue their education degree. He also states that nothing is impossible for Indigenous people to achieve university degree especially in nursing program.
In conclusion, educating more Indigenous nurses contribute positive approaches to overcoming the health disparity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. It is clear that there are many solutions to educating more Indigenous nurses such as the provision of support, government contribution and the role model of Indigenous students. Therefore the problem of not having enough Indigenous nurses can be solved. Finally, both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians should unite together to establish the right education system for supporting Indigenous people.
Reference Lists:
Armstrong, F 2004, ‘Deadly: Indigenous health today’, Australian Nursing Journal, vol.12, no.5, pp.16-19.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2009, Experimental life tables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians 2005–2007, cat. no. 3302.0.55.003, ABS, Canberra.
Booth, A & Carroll, N 2005, ‘The health status of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians’, Discussion paper no. 486, The Australian National University Centre for Economic Policy Research, pp.1-32.
Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) 2010, ‘Aboriginal communities: referencing, not plagiarism.
Retrieved 17 April 2010 from .
Dragon, N 2007, ‘A call to action: health equality for Indigenous Australians’, Australian Nursing Journal, vol.14, no. 7, pp. 21-24.
Friel, S 2009, Health equity in Australia: a policy framework based on action on the social determinants of obesity, alcohol and tobacco, The Australian National Preventative Health Taskforce National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University & The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London.
Huggonson, D 2001, ‘Nurse education for rural and remote Aborigines’, Submission to National Review of Nursing Education, Weston, ACT, pp.1-5
Turale, S & Miller, M 2006, ‘Improving the health of Indigenous Australians: reforms in nursing education. An opinion piece of international interest’, International Nursing Review, vol.53, pp.171-177.
Usher, K, Lindsay, D & Mackay, W 2009, An innovative nurse education program in the Torres Strait Islands, Nurse Education Today, Volume 25, Issue 6, Pages 437-441
