Newsletter August 2023
CATSINaM Secretariat Updates for Members
CATSINaM believes that a constitutionally enshrined Voice could be a fundamental provision towards recognising the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It could be a demonstration of a maturing national consciousness which could signify our collective will to honour the sovereignty and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples…
We call for action, and not platitudes and hopefulness, as the latter have proven ineffective. We call for an ethic of care.
A care that:
- challenges any investment in racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially in discussions that should be about our relationships and our shared future.
- understands the harmful precedent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being weaponised as pawns for political gain, a contemporaneous and conventional part of Australian democracy.
- truly acknowledges that we live here together on unceded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands, and that our future together, here, should not just be determined by non-Indigenous peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, sovereign peoples of our respective countries, deserve a Voice, and much more.
CATSINaM calls for Unity and Strength through Caring.
Read the full CATSINaM Statement on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice at this link.
Let’s Talk Social Justice with Dr Ali Drummond (CEO, CATSINaM)
In this episode of Let’s Talk…Social Justice, Kevin learns from Dr Drummond’s lived experience as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurse, as well as his research into the many barriers preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from working in and accessing the health system. Tune in by hitting this link.
Sponsor the CATSINaM Regional Conference 2023
The Regional Congress showcases a mix of panel discussions, professional development training and workshops from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives. Sponsorship benefits include:
- Your logo placed on the CATSINaM Congress webpage, PowerPoint slides, newsletter, and communications.
- Complimentary ticket – one ticket for sponsorship up to $10,000. Two tickets for sponsorships up to $20,000.
- Opportunity to promote your organisation.
We greatly appreciate your support and sponsorship – 2023 Regional Congress – Sponsor – CATSINaM
Modernising the Constitution
We held our first webinar on Monday, the 28th of August. We are planning to hold the next webinar in September. If you are a voting member (ordinary members and student members) and are interested in attending, please RSVP your EOI to enquire@catsinam.org.au
Thank you once again to our members who participated in this event. Here is some feedback we received on the day….
This is great to hear. It sounds like this modernisation will advance the practice of CATSINAM.
Great professional development opportunities for members to learn the skills and governance in joining a board!
Thank you for the forum today.
Are you ready to govern and lead?
Murra Mullangari: Introduction to Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility
Cultural Safety is an outcome of nursing and midwifery education that enables safe service to be defined by those that receive the service. It is a way of providing care that is holistic, free of bias and racism, challenges belief based upon assumption and is done in a respectful manner.
Murra Mullangari, the Cultural Safety program has been developed to recognise the historical conditions of Australia’s colonial context, specifically from the social positions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health outcomes, culture of power dynamics within nursing and midwifery workforce and the implications for clients health care and professional practice.
The next offering of Murra Mullangari program will commence on Monday 2nd October 2023. Early Bird 20% Discount Registration will run from Monday 28th August until 24th September 2023.
Full price registration will commence on 25th September 2023. Please note that any bulk purchases can happen anytime.
See details at this weblink.
Scholarships
CATSINaM Student Members, are you looking for Clinical Placement Support?
Northern Territory Primary Health Networks (NT PHN) are offering remote NT clinical placement grants through CRANAplus. Allied health, nursing and midwifery, and medical students living in the Northern Territory or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health students across Australia are eligible to apply.
Round 2, 2023 – Open 1July – 31 December 2023. More info and how to apply can be found here: https://crana.org.au/professional-support/awards-scholarships-grants
CLOSING SOON – Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme (PHMSS) – Open 30 Aug — close 10 Oct
An additional round of PHMSS First Nations health scholarships is open. If you have any questions or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Australian College of Nursing scholarships team by emailing scholarships@acn.edu.au or calling 1800 688 628.
Advice on Health and Well-being
Tackling burnout in nursing and midwifery.
Studying, working, and juggling the pressures of everyday life may take a toll on your health and well-being. Being a nursing or midwifery student or new graduate can expose you to new situations that you may find confronting and challenging to manage. The Nurse & Midwife support in health and wellbeing provides some advice on support during these times. Check this resource out and let us know how useful it was for you by emailing enquire@catsinam.org.au (subject: N&M support).
Posts from CATSINaM Members and Partners
Job Opportunities
Short term role with the Australian College of Nursing: Creating a culturally safe Immunisation for Healthcare Practitioners Program for Students.
The Australian College of Nursing is seeking the assistance of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, ideally with a background in immunisation and/or education to review the National Immunisation for Healthcare Practitioners Program content, to ensure that all content is culturally safe and appropriate for all students. The content reviewer will be required to carefully review the course content, make recommendations, and give feedback on the cultural appropriateness and inclusion of content. This is a paid position.
For expressions of interest, please email the Director of Professional Development at Judith.smith@acn.edu.au by the 8th of September, outlining your experience in immunisation and/or education.
Short term role with Health Education Services Australia (HESA) to assess a First Nations Immunisation Program
HESA invites applications from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person to join an assessment panel to review an application from the Cunningham Centre. More details are provided in this linked document.
The First Nations Aged Care Branch is seeking applications for an interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner
Improving aged care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a key reform priority for the Australian Government. The interim Commissioner will:
- Consult with older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families, carers and communities across Australia.
- Engage with sector-wide reforms to help remove barriers to improve aged care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Advise the Government on the design and function of a permanent Commissioner role in the aged care system.
Further information on the position description is available via Job Details | APS Jobs.
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is advertising several roles.
- EL1 Data Warehouse Modeller and Analyst, eHealth and Medication Safety
- EL1 Senior Project Officer, Intergovernmental Relations
- EL1 Senior Project Officer, Pathology Accreditation Scheme
For more details click on this link.
Voice to Parliament
Referendum Yarns with the Foundations for Young Australians.
This is a space for young mob to yarn, connect and learn together, acknowledging and holding space for different views in our communities. It is not a space to campaign on the vote. By attending the Yarn, you will:
- Connect with other young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a supportive space to share your hopes, concerns and questions about the Referendum.
- Learn about the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament.
- Learn how to navigate the news and media during this time.
- Learn how to look after yourselves during the Referendum debate.
If you are seeking a space where your voice will be valued and respected, then this is the workshop for you. Keen? Sign up here! Contact: roxanne.moore@fya.org.au.
Public Consultations
Cancer Australia seeking advice on increasing and supporting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Workforce.
Cancer Australia is taking a collaborative approach to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to lead strategies that increase and support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. Cancer Australia is currently building an understanding of the workforce context and is interested in discussing:
- What do you see are the priorities in building the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing workforce?
- What are the needs and priorities for growing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses involved in cancer care?
- How can Cancer Australia support or facilitate growth of the cancer nursing workforce?
Please send your feedback to enquire@catsinam.org.au or to Catherine Wood at Catherine.Wood@canceraustralia.gov.au – the Assistant Director at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Control.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is seeking your advice.
Below are open consultations affecting the nursing and midwifery profession. We encourage our members to review the material and provide advice to NMBA.
- Draft Registration standard: General registration for internationally qualified registered nurses
- Public consultation – Two further possible changes to the National Boards’ English language skills requirements
- Public consultation – Review of the Criminal history registration standard and other work to improve public safety.
For General Interest
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has published its Data Strategy 2023–2028 after an extensive public consultation across 2022–2023.
Department of Health and Aged Care: Health updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. There are four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses profiled at the end.
Department of Health and Aged Care has updated the National Cervical Screening Program Education Course.
The National Cervical Screening Program education course is a self-directed CPD online training course consisting of six modules. The course aims to enhance, reinforce and increase knowledge about the Cervical Screening Test and clinical pathways. The duration of each module is approximately 1hr, with 1 self-directed CPD point able to be allocated per hour spent completing the modules. Information on self-collection as a screening option can be found throughout all modules, but of particular interest may be Module 4 Screening in Practice which describes the steps involved in supporting a patient to self-collect a vaginal Cervical Screening Test sample.
Thanking all supporters of the RSV and Me campaign
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia wishes to thank all of our supporters for the campaign. Below is a short video that captures the phenomenal reaction across traditional and social media, as well as from medical experts, celebrities, politicians, and a range of organisations and community groups.
We look forward to working together again during RSV Awareness Week 2024 (2-8 June).
Watch the RSV and Me campaign highlights.
Centre for Palliative Care: Are you a carer? Here are some new CarerHelp resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
As someone’s illness advances, they require more care and support with daily life such as personal care, meals, organising medicines and appointments, and emotional support. Families who take on this role are impacted in many ways by the demands of caring and also experiencing their own emotional reactions to the loss of a loved one. CarerHelp now has a range of information and resources tailored to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. These resources can be viewed online or printed off to give to families. Resources include factsheets, videos, and links to other useful websites and are organised into three pathways to assist families to find the right information for them at the right time.
The 2023 Intergenerational Report is available
The 2023 Intergenerational Report considers five major forces influencing Australia’s economic growth: population ageing, technological and digital transformation, climate change and the net zero transformation, rising demand for care and support services, and geopolitical risk and fragmentation. The Report includes First Nations population, education and employment data. The Report and its Fact Sheets can be found here.
Events - Conferences
- September:
- Australasian Hepatology Association Biennial Conference – Melbourne, 8-9 September 2023.
- Oceanic Palliative Care Conference 2023 – Sydney, 13-15 September 2023.
- 2023 National First Nations Closing the Gap Health Conference and 2023 National Indigenous Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Conference- Cairns, 20-22 September, 2023.
- To register, click hyperlink and complete online form. Use ‘3Cov2’ code to avail the 3-for-2 offer.
- The 26th International Nursing Philosophy Conference (The University of Sydney in association with IPONS and the Centre for Nursing Philosophy (ipons-sydney.org) – Sydney, 27-29 September 2023.
- October: 40th CRANAplus Conference – Cairns, 10-12 October 2023.
- November: Homebirth Australia Conference 17-19 November 2023. Homebirth Australia Conference offers $150 discount tickets to CATSINaM Members.
- To claim the discount, please forward this CATSINaM newsletter to conference@homebirthaustralia.org and mention that you would like to take advantage of the discount. A member of our committee with respond with a discount code you can use at the checkout.
We look forward to your feedback and queries. Please email us at: enquire@catsinam.org.au or follow our social media platforms.
Thank you
CATSINaM Secretariat