Exploring the impact of Aboriginal health placement experiences on the preparation of dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities.

AIM: A health workforce with the ability to practice with Aboriginal communities is crucial to bridge the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to explore the impact of university Aboriginal health placements on preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities. METHODS: A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used. A sample of 594 dietetic graduates was invited to complete a survey that identified Aboriginal health experiences and measured attitudes and self-confidence towards working in Aboriginal health using a five-point Likert scale. Participants were divided into placement versus no-placement groups and compared using chi-squared tests. Sixteen of 33 participants who had completed an Aboriginal health placement were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview to explore how placement influenced practice with Aboriginal communities. Interviews were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: A final sample of 120 participants showed that placement participants reported significantly higher self-confidence towards working in Aboriginal health compared with no-placement participants (No-placement = 35% agree, 36% neutral, 29% disagree; Placement = 74% agree, 11% neutral, 16% disagree; χ2 (2, 88) = 9.4; P = 0.01). Fifteen participants were interviewed. Interview data indicated that situated learning experiences, breaking down stereotypes, empathy through learning from Aboriginal people, and Aboriginal health role-models were key components of Aboriginal health placements in preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Aboriginal health placements may be an effective strategy for preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities. The feasibility of placement or alternative curriculum content needs to be explored.

Transformative effects of Aboriginal health placements for medical, nursing, and allied health students: A systematic review.

The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate whether placements in Aboriginal health affect the self-perceived skill in working in Aboriginal health settings and career aspirations of health students, and in particular, aspects of the placement that had the greatest impact. The Embase, Cinahl, ProQuest, Scopus, Informit, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PubMed databases were searched in April/May 2016. Placements of at least 1 week duration in an Aboriginal health setting involving Australian students of medical, nursing, dentistry, or allied health disciplines, with outcomes relating to changes in students' knowledge, attitudes, and/or career aspirations, were included. The search retrieved 1351 papers. Fourteen studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. Narrative synthesis found that work placements in Aboriginal health increased understanding and awareness of Aboriginal culture, promoted deeper understanding of Aboriginal health determinant complexity, increased awareness of everyday racism toward Aboriginal Australians, and enhanced desire to work in Aboriginal health. There is a need for improved teaching and learning scholarship to understand whether placements improve students' skill working with Aboriginal people in health care or increase the likelihood of future employment in these settings.