We are looking for the truth: one researcher’s reflections on the parallel journey of Indigenous Australian cultural competence

Abstract

This research aims to seek meaning from the lived experiences of students studying Indigenous Australian cultural competence in a Bachelor of Nursing program at Charles Sturt University. Undergraduate students enrolled in an Indigenous Australian subject within the Bachelor of Nursing course in 2012 and the subsequent journey of students in this cohort through their second and third year of university is the focus. During the research process it became evident that the researcher has also been on a journey of Indigenous Australian Cultural Competence like the participants of this study, looking for the truth. Students involved in this research were studying in an accredited curriculum by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council. The curriculum involved the completion of a core subject in the first year of study around Indigenous Australian health. Further content that aimed to progress student knowledge on Indigenous Australian health was embedded in a range of other nursing subjects in the remaining years of the degree. This presentation will share a small piece of the collective student and researcher journey reveal how this has been an important part of the methodological process of this project. This research will provide consideration for curriculum design and for other nursing academics walking a shared learning journey with students.