Catrina Felton-Busch

Using mentoring circles to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students: Guidelines for sharing and learning

Abstract A mentoring circle is a teaching and learning strategy that has been used to support students in tertiary education. In this study researchers implemented a mentoring circle at a remote James Cook University satellite campus in the Torres Strait. The aim of the study was to foster the emotional and social growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students to improve the students’ experience and retention rates. Early results of the study showed mentoring circles support the development of time management, communication skills and self awareness, which students need to work effectively in a university setting. Although this study was conducted within a nursing degree in a Torres Strait Island community, its findings have potential for use in other contexts. In this paper researchers offer guidelines to establish a mentoring circle in a tertiary setting.

Remote dwelling Aboriginal Australian women and birthing: A critical review of literature

PROBLEM Australian Aboriginal womens aspirations for birthing on country (having our babies born on our traditional land) are increasingly being reported in Australian scholarly and policy literature. However given the paucity of publications authored by Aboriginal Australians from remote areas of Australia, how well can the current knowledge base in Australia inform the development of culturally appropriate maternity services for our communities? OBJECTIVE The aim of this literature review is to critically analyse the policy documents informing maternity services policy and scholarly literature on the birthing experiences (including the provision of maternity services) of Aboriginal Australian women from remote communities from an Indigenous standpoint. METHOD Policy documents and scholarly literature were critically analysed to identify who the authors were, their background, approaches and perspectives; and emergent themes. A further analysis of the literature drew on Faircloughs ideas on discourse, power and hegemony. FINDINGS A critical discourse analysis of this literature exposed how these texts are ideologically shaped to give voice (and power) to the medical fraternity, maternity care services practitioners and policy makers (whose knowledge is valued) while simultaneously silencing the voices of Aboriginal Australians that pose a challenge to that power. CONCLUSION This critical review of current literature highlights the importance of ongoing critique of maternity services policy and practice discourse necessary to combat western medical hegemony that maintains the disenfranchisement of Aboriginal Australians.