Aged Care Insite Australia's number one aged care news source
An indigenous nursing cadet looks forward to making a difference in the health of the people of Kalkaringi in the Northern Territory.
Ena Tyson is taking up Bachelor of Nursing at the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Education (ACIKE), a joint initiative between Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and Charles Darwin University.
Tyson said she is determined to become a registered nurse and help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the remote community.
The nursing program is helping her prepare to practice nursing particularly primary health care, indigenous health and public health.
“I look at all the diseases that burden my people so that motivates me to continue in my studies so I can make a difference for my community,” said Tyson.
“I have been supported greatly by the Northern Territory government cadetship for the last three years, financially. Without their support, I would not have been able to achieve my goals,” she said.
Tyson is a Gurindji woman, with a strong Aboriginal family background. Her father’s side is the traditional Aboriginal people of Kalkaringi in the Northern Territory, and her mother hails from Waka Waka in Queensland.
It was her father’s passing which inspired her to study nursing. She initially tried to study nursing after leaving school at the age of 16, but instead had to work to support her family when her father passed away.
Her family has continued to keep her strong and inspires her in completing her nursing studies.
“I have received the support I have needed in my nursing studies to progress and succeed and know I couldn’t have made it this far without the dedicated nursing staff at Batchelor there through my learning journey,” she said.
Tyson and other indigenous nursing students get support through intensive one-on-one workshops, campus accommodation, curriculum assistance, and clinical placements, among other measures.
Do you have an idea for a story?Email [email protected]
Get the news delivered straight to your inbox
Receive the top stories in our weekly newsletter Sign up now