Indigenous Midwifery student numbers at Griffith University have been increased as a result of theestablishment of theFirst People’s Health Unit (FPHU) last year.
Set up to improve the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of our nation’s First Peoples, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, the Unit has been successful in the recruitment of a total of 16 Indigenous midwives within the Griffith Bachelor of Midwifery.
“Our aim with our Bachelor of Midwifery Research Program is to increase our graduating numbers of midwives and to further improve the participation rates, retention and success of our students,” says Professor Roianne West, FPHU director from the Menzies Health Institute Queensland.
Positive reaction from academic staff
“More broadly across the Griffith Health Group, we are delighted to see that the FPHU is being positively received by academic staff who are considering the Unit’s aims when considering curriculum design and the way that they’re teaching.
“This, coupled with the fact that we have delivered on our commitment to increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student numbers within the Group to nearly 240, is a sure sign that Griffith is positioned as a leader in the field of Indigenous health.”
Griffith’s Bachelor of Nursing currently has the highest number of Indigenous students at 96, followed by Social Work, 42, Bachelor of Psychological Science, 36, and Bachelor of Psychology, 20.