First Nations Palliative Care Project
The First Nations Palliative Care project aims to improve capacity to meet the palliative and end-of-life care needs of First Nations Queenslanders. The project seeks to increase culturally and clinically evidence-based, Culturally Safe and Culturally Responsive care services across the health sector for First Nations Queenslanders.
Resources
The project will lead First Nations palliative care delivery by enhancing and developing culturally appropriate resources and tools with a focus on workforce, education, and systems development designed with and for First Nations Queenslanders.
Yarning about morphine
Yarning about morphine is important for seriously sick people, their families and community. Sometime though, people can be worried about taking morphine.
The Yarning about morphine brochure, developed with and for First Nations Queenslanders, answers common questions about morphine.
Health professionals can use this brochure to guide discussions with First Nations people and their families.
- Yarning about morphine brochure (PDF 5069 kB)
- To order printed copies, contact the PallConsult First Nations team
Advance care yarning
Tailored resources developed with and for First Nations Queenslanders are now available to support advance care yarning.
Advance care yarning is the process of letting others know about what you want for your future and ongoing health care. It can mean:
- thinking, talking and deciding on what matters to you
- having a chance to let others know your wishes, values, beliefs, and choices
- knowing your family and health care staff will have the information needed to respect your choices, your way, when you cannot speak for yourself.
These resources can be used by health professionals to support advance care yarning with First Nations Queenslanders.
Brochure
- Advance care yarning brochure (PDF 2201 kB)
- Printed copies of this brochure can be ordered via WINC: Advance Care Yarning brochures (Pack 50) - Code: SW1262
Videos
- Video 1 – Advance Care Yarning. Your Care, Your Choice, Your Belonging
- Video 2 – Advance Care Yarning. Forms to support you
- Video 3 – Advance Care Yarning. A Family Story
Statewide Clinical Yarning Circle
First Nations health professionals in Queensland are invited to join the Statewide Clinical Yarning Circle.
The Statewide Clinical Yarning Circle aims to provide leadership and collaborative education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals concerning aspects of end-of-life care for adults and children.
Topics will be hosted by clinical specialists.
Online Teams meetings will be held bi-monthly on the last Tuesday of the month, 9:00am to 10:00am.
Next meeting:
- 28 January 2025
- 25 March 2025
- 27 May 2025
- 29 July 2025
- 30 September 2025
- 25 November 2025
This Yarning Circle is suitable for First Nations health professionals working across hospital, community, children’s health, aged care and allied health settings in Queensland.
View the flyer (PDF 3937 kB) for details about the Yarning Circle.
View the Clinical Yarning Circle Working Together Principles (PDF 191 kB).
Register online or contact FirstNations-PallConsult@health.qld.gov.au for more information.
Advance Care Yarning Art Competition: My Care, My Choice, My Belonging - 2024 winners
The Advance Care Yarning Art Competition theme for 2024 was 'My Care, My Choice, My Belonging.' First Nations Queenslanders were encouraged to submit an original artwork focusing on how advance care yarning and making future health care choices can help a person have a positive health journey. Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to the first place and joint second place artists.
First place
Connected to Country and Family by Leah Cummins
"This story is inspired by our need to support our loved ones during their most difficult times and how community along with Country plays a role in healthy minds and healthy healing. In the heart of this intricate web of support stood the family, pillars of strength and beacons of unwavering love.
Surrounding the family and their loved one are pathways. These pathways having meeting places along the way where support of community and networks help assist in the healing journey of the loved one.
The hands are the helping hands there to support and showing care and love. The plants are the connection to Country. This is important in all First Nations health and wellbeing to be supported back on Country for the soul and spiritual connection to be rejuvenated."
Joint second place
Yarning Circle by Lauren Rogers
"I celebrate the power of storytelling and knowledge-sharing in First Nations communities. The artwork features a yarning circle at the centre, symbolising community and connection, surrounded by kangaroo tracks, bush berries, and pebbles representing the land and culture.
Above, the sky, sun, stars, and clap sticks signify spirituality and cultural heritage. Water iconography twirls at the bottom represent the connection to life-giving water.
Through this artwork, I use bold colours to highlight the importance of advance care yarning and making choices for future health care that embrace spirituality, community, and connection to Country."
Joint second place
Cultural Healing by Birra-Li Warner
"This artwork represents the journey of connection to culture and Country. As First Nations people, being on Country, traditional dancing, bush tucker and yarning with mob heals our well-being. Connecting to culture and Country allows us to reflect on our spiritual, mental and physical health journey.
The young boy represents someone who is regaining strength through the mourning process using these connections.
The hands in this artwork show how important supporting and comforting a patient through their palliative care journey is."
First Nations Palliative Care Project team
- Kat Hooper, First Nations Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
- Samantha Walsh-McCormack, First Nations Administration Officer.
In line with the PallConsult service model, the project is not a provider of direct care to patients and families. It is an indirect provider of care to families and communities through support for frontline clinicians and building capacity and capability.
Contact firstnations-pallconsult@health.qld.gov.au for more information.