NRSG210: Nurses Role in Aboriginal Women's Mental Health Support

This report examines the role of nurses in supporting Aboriginal women with mental health issues, guided by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) code of conduct. It emphasizes the importance of providing culturally safe and respectful care, free from bias and racism, to facilitate access to quality healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The report highlights the significance of cultural practices, effective communication, and respectful relationships in improving the mental well-being of Aboriginal women, underscoring the need for nurses to acknowledge cultural, historic, economic, and social factors influencing health while respecting beliefs, sexualities, and gender identities.

ROLE OF NURSES TO SUPPORT
ABORIGINAL WOMEN WITH MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES

NMBA code of conduct for nurses:
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) is an organization to manage the Australian nurses,
midwives, the nursing and midwifery students (Ingham-Broomfield, 2015).
• Significance of the code of conducts of NMBA for the aboriginal women with mental issues:
a) to provide complete care, bias and racism free service for Aboriginal Women with Mental Issues
b) facilitate access to quality and culturally safe heath for Aboriginal and/or Torres strait Islander people
c) to help in the healthcare decision making of Aboriginal and/or Torres strait Islander people for proper care
delivery
• NMBA code of conduct violation are two types: professional misconduct and unprofessional misconduct.
• A employee must report to the AHPRA if a practitioner or nurse was to be found violating the code of conduct
• Formal legal proceedings will be taken by AHPRA according to the seriousness of the charge ursing and(N
Midwifery oard of AustraliaB , 2008)

Cultural practices and respectful relationships:
• In order to provide support to the aboriginal women with mental health issues nurses follow:
a) Cultural safety and provide support which is holistic and free from bias or racism (Ayton & Staff, 2017).
b) They provide high quality services in order to support the well being of aboriginal women who suffer from mental
issues.
c) They also identify the importance of family, community and partnership to improve the mental situation of the
aboriginal women.
d) Understand that only the person or their family can determine whether a care is culturally safe and respectful
e) Acknowledging the cultural, historic, economic and social factors influencing health
f) Respecting beliefs, sexualities, beliefs, gender identities of aboriginal women
g) Create positive and culturally safe work environment
h) Adopt practices that respect diversity (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2008)

Reference:
Ayton, J., & Staff, L. (2017). Public consultation: NMBA draft Midwife standards
for practice University of Tasmania (UTAS) submission.
Ingham-Broomfield, R. (2015). A nurses' guide to qualitative research. Australian
Journal of Advanced Nursing, The, 32(3), 34.
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2008). Code of Professional Conduct
for Nurses in Australia. Melbourne. Retrieved from
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/