New rural health research highlights the importance of teaching future health workers to better understand First Nations health, through a study co-authored by former UCRH researcher Mohammed Hamiduzzaman.
Published in Creative Nursing, the paper Teaching for Truth: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of a Classroom Strategy for Teaching Health Students to Recognise the Weight of Colonisation in First Nations Health explores a fresh way of teaching nursing students.
The study looks at a co-teaching approach that brings together First Nations knowledge and Western perspectives. Using storytelling, art and reflection, students were encouraged to think more deeply about the ongoing impacts of colonisation and how this shapes health outcomes today.
Students reported a stronger understanding of history, culture and their role in delivering respectful care. The findings show that community-led and culturally grounded teaching can make learning more meaningful and better prepare students for real-world practice.
This research supports growing calls for more inclusive and culturally safe approaches in health education.
