Session 5: Caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients: A Top End Perspective

Date: Wednesday 6 May, 2026 | Time: 4:00-5:00pm AEST | Type: FREE Session | Platform: Zoom

This session has been postponed.

This week’s PCNA webinar, Caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients: A Top End Perspective, has been postponed.

Our presenters are currently attending to sorry business, and we respectfully acknowledge this time and the importance it holds for them, their families and communities.

We thank Kirstan, Kellum and Patricia for their willingness to share their knowledge, and we look forward to bringing this important conversation to you at a later date.

We’ll share a new date when it’s confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding.

Please click here to register your interest for this session, and we will contact you with more information when available.

Register Here

About this session

In the Top End, care does not begin with a checklist. It begins with relationships.

It is shaped by culture, by community, and by a deep understanding of what matters to the person and their family.

In this webinar, Kirstan Dowling, Kellum Steele and Patricia Spicer from Danila Dilba in Darwin share their experience working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as they navigate the aged care system.

Kirstan is an Aboriginal Health Practitioner and Coordinator for Elder Care Support, and Kellum and Patricia are Senior Aged Care Engagement Officers. Together, they support individuals and families to access services while advocating for care that is culturally safe, appropriate and grounded in community.

Each brings a unique career and life experience working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, shaping how they approach care and connection in their day to day work.

Through this conversation, they reflect on what it means to approach those first interactions with respect, how trust is built over time, and how care can be shaped in ways that are responsive to culture, Country and community.

This is not about having all the answers. It is about listening, showing up with respect, and being open to learning.

This session will explore

  • What matters most to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, families and communities

  • How to approach early interactions in a way that builds connection and respect

  • How trust can be developed, particularly where there may be past experiences of trauma or mistrust

  • Moving beyond the fear of getting it wrong and building confidence in culturally safe care

Facilitator:
Sarah Begley, Clinical Nurse Consultant – Aged Care and Palliative Care & PCNA Committee Vice President

We encourage you to share this webinar with your colleagues and download the flyer to support wider engagement across palliative care nursing.

This session will be recorded and made available to watch on the PCNA website.