Aboriginal Cultural Orientation

Many health professionals have little or no knowledge of the post-colonial legacies and cultural perceptions of Aboriginal people, yet the impact of poor understanding undermines respect, devalues integrity and compounds communication barriers. These issues have a devastating impact on the health outcomes of Aboriginal people. In recognition that many health practitioners working with Aboriginal people receive little or no cultural orientation, CUCRH, in partnership with WA Country Health Service and Disability Services Commission, has developed an on-line Cultural Orientation Plan. This plan consists of five self directed learning modules with a focus on allied health, however much of the content is generic to all health professionals.

Graduate Certificate in Population Health Studies

• Epidemiology;
• Qualitative Research Methods in Health;
• Health Promotion; and
• Health Program Evaluation

Distributed Simulation

In a bid to provide up-to the minute educational and professional development opportunities to local health professionals and entice more Health Science students to complete their placements through the Midwest, CUCRH (Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health) is delivering communication, clinical and inter-professional skill development sessions using new as well as enhanced simulation learning activities and programs.
Distributed Simulation has consistently proved invaluable in boosting the clinical education experience - both across Australia and on the global scale. Simulated clinical situations and activities can be scheduled, observed and then repeated in order to consolidate learning. Distributed Simulation can also ensure that students have achieved required competencies before stepping into the real patient care environment, underlining positive implications for patient safety.
Whilst student experience of real situations will remain critical to developing clinical expertise, simulated distribution possesses the fundamental attributes to help transfer theoretical knowledge to the clinical context and ease the transition between education and training years to the workforce environment.