Two Aboriginal registered nurses show us why black nurses caring for black patients is good medicine

Abstract

In Queensland, Aboriginal nurses are limited in number in comparison to the mainstream nursing workforce. More Aboriginal registered nurses are needed to cater for Aboriginal patients in our Australian healthcare system in view of today's burgeoning Indigenous health crisis. It is a foregone conculsion that Aboriginal nurses are the most suitable nurses to provide optimal cross cultural care for Aboriginal patients, due to having similar cultural backgrounds. The following paper will show how two Aboriginal registered nurses are opitimitstic about the possibilities of expanding the ranks of Aboriginal registered nurses through role modelling, and are channelling their research to achieve this with the aim of promoting better health outcomes for their people. A qualitative research approach has been used to examine the subjective human experience of the participants. Three dominant themes emerged from the reseaerch and will be expanded upon within the body of this paper to support the authors' thesis that Aboriginal nurses are a valuable commodity to address the Aborignal health crisis.