Nursing Placement in Nhulunbuy

This WIL placement in Nhulunbuy has enabled me to gain invaluable cultural safety and cultural competency experience that I would not have gained if I stayed in Adelaide for this placement block. The cultural learning provided by Flinders University on this placement was an irreplaceable insight into the Yolgnu community and the Indigenous Culture, learning firsthand the importance of country and community, and how these two things can be integrated into healthcare to achieve optimal health outcomes whilst maintaining cultural safety and respecting the patient’s values and beliefs. I got to work closely with the multidisciplinary team at this hospital, working in direct contact with interns, registrars and consultants which is not something that we get to experience working in a metropolitan hospital in Adelaide. I also got to challenge my adaptability skills, moving to a new town in a new state alone, and having to settle into a completely new environment and build a new routine. Furthermore, this skill also applied to an entirely new hospital environment and healthcare system, extremely different from any I have experienced during previous placements.

Without the ACEN scholarship I never would have made the journey to Nhulunbuy for placement, and thus never would have discovered my interest in further study in Primary Healthcare and remote area nursing. This experience has opened my eyes to a whole new career avenue that I aspire to, and without discovering this I think I may not have remained in the profession very long. I got to work with nurses working in this field and was able to ask questions and obtain advice from them regarding how to progress further in this field. I also got to experience what being a Remote Area Nurse is like firsthand, following one going out bush for several days, and being able to witness the healthcare she gives to these communities as their sole healthcare provider. I was so grateful for this opportunity as this is something I would have never gotten to experience if I did not attend this WIL placement in Nhulunbuy.