An apology, a commitment, a shared journey toward healing the past harms of colonisation on First Peoples

An apology, a commitment, a shared journey toward healing the past harms of colonisation on First Peoples

Background
In 2022, Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, Australia and New Zealand (CDNM) embarked on the journey of reconciliation through recognising that the nursing and midwifery professions, have been both complicit and contributory to the impacts of colonisation on the First Peoples of Australia. Council made a commitment to heal past harms.
Methods
The CDNM Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) prioritises as its first Pillar, improving First Peoples Health, through workforce growth, sustainability and success. Pillar outcomes are described.
Results
Beginning in 2022, an apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was given which acknowledged the professional and institutional racism that has contributed to social injustices of the past and how this shaped the current reality of healthcare. This apology was delivered at the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives Conference. Subsequently, a seminal editorial was published to reach a global nursing and midwifery audience to recognising the impact of colonialism and to embark on a journey of healing. In 2023, a survey was conducted to establish how many First Peoples were in nursing and midwifery academic positions in Australia and New Zealand indicating that workforce parity with First Peoples populations had not been achieved in either country, and that targeted career development is required. In 2024, a tri-party partnership agreement has been signed between CDNM and peak First Nations organisations (Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives [Australia] and Wharangi Rhuamano [New Zealand]) to work together to shape the education of all future nurses and midwives on the delivery of culturally safe care, and to grow the First Peoples workforce in both countries. The work of CDNM continues by working in partnership with key stakeholders to address the recommendations of the Getting ‘em and Keepin ‘em II report to address social injustices within the education of future nurses and midwives in Australia and New Zealand.
Conclusions
In understanding our own collective cultural humility as leaders in education and then accepting the responsibility of influencing change we can make a difference for the future. Our commitment is to take action by speaking up, recognising past social injustices and working toward our journey of healing in partnership with First Peoples, and to reduce the legacy of colonialism.