My name is Jamiliah Bin Swani, a Bard descendant from Lombadina Community located in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. I am also a Samsep descendant with ties to Erub Island in the Torres Strait Islands. After 4 years of working as an Aboriginal Health Worker in primary healthcare clinics across the Kimberley, I was inspired to further my education as a Registered Nurse so that I could improve the health care system for Indigenous people. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Notre Dame, Fremantle and am passionate about health and advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As a current Allied Health Assistant at Children’s Health Queensland this opportunity has not only cemented my pursuit to become a qualified Physiotherapist but spiked an interest specifically in Paediatrics. As such, when I graduate, I aspire to be employed as a full-time Physiotherapist, potentially specialising in Paediatrics, where I will play a vital role in society by enhancing mobility, function, and overall wellbeing of our future generations. If I were to continue my employment with Children’s Health Queensland as a qualified Physiotherapist, I would love to work within outreach teams that travel to remote and regional Australia to provide healthcare to children that have limited access to professional healthcare services.

Ultimately, however, I want to become a culturally safe physiotherapist that engages with community and improves Indigenous health in Australia. I want to progress into higher leadership roles where I can advocate for inclusive practices that share and celebrate the oldest living culture in the world.

In reaching this goal, I will continue to learn and educate myself not only in the field of Physiotherapy but also Indigenous culture and the ongoing impact on colonisation. I will Endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of how to work with Indigenous communities through authentic and meaningful engagement and become a culturally safe physiotherapist that not only provides aid in rehabilitating injuries, managing chronic conditions, and fostering development, but ensures culturally safe healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Semester 2, 2024, was both a challenging and rewarding journey, as I completed stage 5 of my Bachelor of Nursing degree. One of the most significant highlights was being awarded a 2-week Study Abroad International Nursing Placement in Laos, where I participated in delivering primary health care clinics with the Notre Dame University students and Lao health care providers and translators. We coordinated mobile health care clinics across four villages delivering care with limited resources. This opportunity allowed me to work closely with Lao health care providers, local authorities, community members, homestay parents, nursing students, and staff. We were allocated to Lao parents, and got the Lao experience through living their way of life.  A challenging aspect was communication barrier between Lao people and Australian students however with patience, translators, peers it was a successful outcome.  This placement was an eye-opening experience on global health care disparities and has reinforced my passion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in rural and remote settings. It has given me valuable insight and expanded my knowledge and cultural understanding of developing countries.

I also completed two clinical placements: Royal Perth Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where I provided trauma-informed care to acute critical ill patients and Fremantle Hospital, Psychiatric Intensive care unit (PICU) where I cared for acute patients with mental health conditions. ICU and PICU were both eye opening experiences, I was given the opportunity to provide practical nursing care in complex environment. Both these placements have given me valuable skills for my future nursing career strengthening me to build resilience, independence and adapt to high-pressure situations. Managing to balance five units, hospital placements, work, personal life, was difficult but with good support from university, peers, family, colleagues I was able to overcome these challenges. This semester also taught me the importance of stress management, self-care, and asking for help when needed as its important to care for yourself to care for others.

I aim to continue developing valuable nursing skills with what opportunity I am given particularly required for rural and remote nursing or primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I focus to complete my final semester with gratitude, joy and hope looking forward to my nursing future.