This chapter discusses the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from a gendered perspective, considering the different health needs and outcomes experienced by men and women. It begins by unpacking the construct of gender and discussing how gender and gender variations are viewed and accepted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Indigenous understandings of women’s business and men’s business are discussed from historical and contemporary perspectives, with a strong focus on the National Aboriginal Health Strategy’s definitions of the two. The chapter then discusses the differences in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and women, and how the different views they have of health may affect them, before considering how nurses can best provide gender-appropriate care to their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. The chapter concludes by considering how Australian policies have varied in meeting the gendered needs of Indigenous Australians, and how the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women is changing and will continue to do so into the future.

This chapter discusses the role of community controlled health services in the Australian healthcare system and their contribution to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It begins by exploring the establishment of community controlled health services in Brisbane in response to the different health needs of Indigenous people at the time. The chapter then discusses the concept of community control, defining it as being by the community, for the community. Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs) are led by, based in and governed by Indigenous communities. The chapter discusses the experience of working in a community controlled clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team. Key health services, including the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), and their contribution to culturally safe care, are discussed in detail. The chapter concludes by considering recent changes to the Australian healthcare sector and future opportunities for ACCHOs.

This chapter considers cultural safety within the context of Australian nursing and midwifery practice, using Irihapeti Ramsden’s definition of cultural safety as a framework. The chapter begins by considering the effects of colonisation on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how nurses must be aware of their patients’ cultures (which extend beyond ethnicity) in order to effectively treat them. The chapter discusses the journey practitioners take from cultural awareness through cultural sensitivity to achieve cultural safety. The chapter suggests that nurses must use self-reflection as a tool to understand their own beliefs, values and attitudes and how these may impact the healthcare they provide. This chapter is a call to all nurses and midwives to understand the differences between themselves and their patients, and to provide culturally safe care to all patients.