Indigenous Community and Healthcare: A Study on Aurukun of Australia

The report focuses on the Aurukun community of Australia and their healthcare challenges. It discusses the nursing practices for cancer screening and the role of nurses in collaborating with the community. The report also highlights the strength-based approach in nursing and the programs launched by nurses to create awareness about diseases.

Written assignment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
PART A..........................................................................................................................................3
PART B............................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The present report will be based on Indigenous community and the way it has been
surviving and dealing with the challenges of healthcare. The study has been focused on specific
community Aurukun of Australia that lives in area of Queensland from thousands of years and it
is one of the common tribal found in that particular region. The report will discuss about
characteristic of Aurukun people as well as the reason for adopting them. Lastly, it will throw
light on the nursing practices which can be conducted for dealing with cancer screening.
However, it will discuss about the way nurse will work collaborated with this community.
MAIN BODY
PART A
Indigenous community’s nations and people ate those which have historical cultural from Pre-
colonial and Pre invasion societies that developed on their territories and consider themselves as
distinct from other sector of the societies or parts of them. In addition to this, Aurukun is
remote community that live in Far North Queensland around 800 Km north west of Cairns. The
traditional owner of the community is WIK, WIK Way and Kugu people and vast area of land
in Western Cape York. Moreover, language spoken by this community is Wik Mungkan, English
and other local language for communication. They are distinct in nature such as according to
2016 cense the number of people this community have 1269. The community is both indigenous
and non- Indigenous cultural history and it embraces as well as demonstrate their cultural and
belief system. It has been recognizing as traditional owner of area of Pormpuraaw and Weipa
from thousands of years (Indigenous.gov.in., 2022). Moreover, this community has been selected
for this project as they are less in number so it will be easy to study them. This community
required good health services as it is essential for life. Although there has been not very much
research has been conducted by the other scholar so this study will act as secondary evidence for
other investigator. Although this community has not been very much looked after by
government and it also require to raise their issues. However, it has been found that indigenous
people has been suffering from depression, substance abuse and suicide have been recorded and
due to that has been fragmentation of indigenous, cultural and social.

PART B
Cancer screening aims to detect cancer before symptoms appear as it involves blood test, urine
test, DNA and other medical imaging. There are various benefits of screening in terms of
prevention of cancer. Moreover, it is one of the most common approach for ducting cancer as it
has been increasing day by day. Although in country like Australia has recorded many cases of
skin cancer due to impact of high sun rays and it has been leading many other issues. It has been
found that there are many health organizations which has been focus on giving medical service
to this indigenous community (Smith and et.al., (2019)). Such as there has been community like
Aurukun primary health care centre has that focus on giving free service to people that has been
face issues relate to Diabetes, child care, chronic diseases, skin check, social and emotional
wellbeing as well healthy life style programmes. In this clinic quick and good quality services
is provided even in the case of emergency as nurse and doctor are always available. Moreover,
medial services billing there has been card given to customer like Medicare and Concession
card that helps in giving discount on the billing or help in knowing cost of the services. There
are facilities like home visit and phone call for the patient and family member in case it is not
able to reach hospital McKinney and et.al., (2020). This social sector provides health service for
chronic die sears that are long-lasting in nature and persistent in their symptoms. This includes
medical condition like cancer, diabetes and non- communicable disease.
Although Anrukun community has been experience higher rates of chronic condition and related
risk factor. It has been found that some disease can be handle but for other their model of
primary health is necessary so that risk can be reducing. Moreover, nurses are trying to come up
with new idea of screening cancer which will help in identifying earlier cases. Thus, Biopsy is
the best way to detect cancer as in this process doctor looks at the tissues under a microscope and
take test if the tissues is cancer (Temucin and Nahcivan, (2020)). In this method nurse can
collect sample though various ways like with needle that can be used to withdraw fluid and
tissue. The another method will be endoscopy in that thin lighted tube is taken into consideration
for examining the areas inside the body. Moreover, making use of this approach will cost more
to health care centre so it need to collaborate with government which will help in providing fund
and professional doctor need to be hired in order to provide appropriate treatment to them. This
way of screening cancer will help health practitioner to plan treatment for the patient. Although
Nurse need to conduct awareness programme within the community in order to educate them

about cancer and the symptoms as well as what precaution it can take to avoid such situation.
Thus, role of nurse is to provide good health practices to the patient so that it can deal with the
chronic disease. In addition to this, role of nurse is to assess patient physical and emotional
status and family knowledge of its treatment so that it can have detail knowledge regarding
medical condition (Gilbert and et.al., (2018)). It need to make nursing care plan for the patient
that involve setting of patient therapy goals, treatment schedules and possible sides effects of
therapy. Although there are many organizations that has been trying to develop indigenous
community but health condition is very much important. Thus, government should look after
them in order to save them and their culture from vanishing.
Aurukun health service is related an integrated health services that delivered in
partnership between cape and Torres hospital and health services in Apunipima also it is offering
high quality of services in order to provide safe culture comprehensive primary health care and
emergency after hours care which is responsive to the community needs. Nurses in Aurukun will
be accompanied by as security guard or indigenous liaison offers when working with
beleaguered community. According to the courier mail it has been analysed that it is related to
extras ordinary new protections that is ensured about the measure outcome which can be come
after threat to staff in which man menaced two nurses with plank of food. There are more than 8
permanent nurses in Aurukum, in which four nurses are locally recruited non- nursing staff. No
staff were injured and no property was damaged during the incident of Aurukun Buerhaus, &
et.al., (2019).
The strength based approach ins nursing is related to target group or need of organization
that utilizes the strength of organisation which is associated with individual that are promoting
tailored self-sufficiency, efficiency and empowerment of patient and client. This approach is
used for guide ons the basis of medicals administrators, clinicians and nursing personnel in their
professional practices by using appropriate strategy for achieving the target in efficient manner.
This approach in divided into two phases pre commitment or pre adoption phase and another one
is adoption phase Vujcich, Crawford & Ward, (2018). Also, there are various challenges found in
Aurukun community related to cancer screening, Also strength based approach is used for
identify the gaps, locate bridging resources, promote skills that patient and their family needs to
remedy healthcare issues.

The most common diseases for Aurukun is related to cancer screening that is treated by
nurses in order to focus on strength based approach:
Pre commitment to implement
It has been analysed that there are cancer incidence and mortality for indigenous people in
Australia increases also they are conscience about there are some authorities which are circulated
the examinations on the basis of Aurukun community, cancer is become diseases which is
necessary for registration of death for the indigenous communities on mainland in order to
believe the reasonably complete Usher, K.,Robinson & Marriott, (2021). Further, there are
nurses who spend more time in order to focus on patient caring in the experiencing pain which is
related tos healths professionals. This is also important for the assessment and both
pharmacologic non-pharmacologic management of pain that are providing for good control and
family and patient education. Healthcare profession barrier in order to provide effective pain
control exist within nursing as well. This is misconception and fear that is related to cancer
patient and recover their health. Also, it can be related to the community faces the problem for
sedation, drug tolerance, respiratory depression that is related to lack of knowledge about pain
assessment and analgesics and under treatment with cancer screening Buerhaus & et.al., (2018).
This is one of the understandable concept which is necessary to minimal time for controlling the
pain as well as it is related to the traditional undergraduate nursing curricula. Moreover, it has
been seen that there are programs launched by nurses in order to create awareness so that
community protect their life orders to more focus on aware of diseases. Another program is
related to maintaining aware by not having tobacco or any other harmful substance which impact
on patient Smith & Hunt (2018).
Adoption phase
In order to adoptions of phases there are some action taken by them in order to provide care to
patient with providing them information that are related to pain control also it is help for
behavioural and physical interventions that are help for preventing and alleviate side effects of
pharmacologic therapies which is necessary for alleviate side effect as well as nurses follows up
for all the practices which are done by them. Also, nurses are explained for the rationale for
interventions in which there are proper care provided to patient which can be related to patient
education Laird & Raudonis, (2020). Further, for any service user it is necessary to follow up
with the patient educations that provide all the related information which is necessary for dosage

scheduling, interventions, side effects, pharmacologic agents etc. Also, nurses provide the basic
informations related to sides effect that is related to anti-emetics, vomiting and other
interventions. Moreover, nurse should monitor the effectiveness and respiratory status and bowel
functioning that is related to cognitive and mental functioning. Then on the other hand, patient
and family must know how to contact with medical personnel in case of emergency and should
feel free to do so.
Then fatigues is the most important distressing which is reported by patients and also
related to the symptom which is understood by nurses that played major role Shusted & et.al.,
(2019). Also, nurses are contributed significantly for incidence, measurement, and fatigue, that
kind of factor are very common in order to identify the roles of fatigue management in the
several activities Nursey-Bray & Palmer, (2018). In addition to this, important responsibilities of
nurses are involving by delivery of chemotherapy in order to ensure about the correct dose and
drug administrated by correct route to right patient. On the other hand, there are error found for
the intervention which is related to follow the misconception and other homes remedy by patient
by their own impact on there health.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded that there are Aurukun community health service is related an
integrated health services that delivered in partnership between cape and Torres hospital and
health services. Also, on the basis of present report it has been analysed that there are major role-
played by nurses for that community. Further, nurses are responsible for their health and provide
them interventions in order to more focus on cancers screening by developing diffeent programs
to aware of diseases.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Buerhaus, P. & et.al., 2018. Quality of primary care provided to Medicare beneficiaries by nurse
practitioners and physicians. Medical care. 56(6). pp.484-490.
Gilbert, C. R. and et.al., 2018. The economic impact of a nurse practitioner–directed lung cancer
screening, incidental pulmonary nodule, and tobacco-cessation clinic. The Journal of
thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. 155(1). pp.416-424.
Gilroy, J., Dew, A., (2018). Indigenous persons with disability in remote Australia: Research
methodology and Indigenous community control. Disability & Society, 33(7), pp.1025-
1045.
Laird, S .A. & Raudonis, B. M., 2020. Colorectal caSmith, D. E., & Hunt, J. (2018)ncer
screening practices among texas nurse practitioners and physician
assistants. Gastroenterology Nursing. 43(2). pp.156-163.
McKinney and et.al., 2020. International evaluation of an AI system for breast cancer
screening. Nature. 577(7788). pp.89-94.
Nursey-Bray, M., & Palmer, R. (2018). Country, climate change adaptation and colonisation:
insights from an Indigenous adaptation planning process, Australia. Heliyon, 4(3),
e00565.
Nursey-Bray, M., & Palmer, R. (2018). Country, climate change adaptation and colonisation:
insights from an Indigenous adaptation planning process, Australia. Heliyon, 4(3),
e00565.Tynan, A., Walker, D., Tucker, T., Fisher, B., & Fisher, T. (2020). Factors
influencing the perceived importance of oral health within a rural Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander community in Australia. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-9.Perks, J., Algoso,
M. & Peters, K., 2018. Nurse practitioner (NP) led care: cervical screening practices and
experiences of women attending a women’s health centre. Collegian. 25(5). pp.493-499.
Schultz, R. & Cairney, S. (2018). Indigenous land management as primary health care:
qualitative analysis from the interplay research project in remote Australia. BMC Health
Services Research, 18(1), 1-10.
Shusted, C.S and et.al., 2019. The case for patient navigation in lung Cancer screening in
vulnerable populations: a systematic review. Population Health Management.22(4).
pp.347-361.
Simpson, J., & Wigglesworth, G. (2019). Language diversity in Indigenous Australia in the 21st
century. Current Issues in Language Planning, 20(1), 67-80.
Smith, D. E., & Hunt, J. (2018). Building IndigeVujcich, D., , Crawford, K., & Ward, J.
(2018)nous community governance in Australia: preliminary research findings.
Canberra, ACT: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), The
Australian National University.
Smith, R. A. and et.al., 2018. Cancer screening in the United States, 2018: a review of current
American Cancer Society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA: a cancer
journal for clinicians. 68(4). pp.297-316.
Smith, R. A. and et.al., 2019. Cancer screening in the United States, 2019: A review of current
American Cancer Society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA: a cancer
journal for clinicians. 69(3). pp.184-210.

Temucin, E. and Nahcivan, N. O., 2020. The effects of the nurse navigation program in
promoting colorectal cancer screening behaviors: A randomized controlled trial. Journal
of Cancer Education. 35(1). pp.112-124.
Usher, K.,Robinson, M., ... & Marriott, R. (2021). Indigenous resilience in Australia: a scoping
review using a reflective decolonizing collective dialogue. Frontiers in public health, 9,
162.
Vujcich, D., , Crawford, K., & Ward, J. (2018). Indigenous youth peer-led health promotion in
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States: a systematic review of the
approaches, study designs, and effectiveness. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 31.
Online references
Indigenous.gov.in., 2022. [Online]. Available through <
https://www.indigenous.gov.au/community/aurukun >