Program Motivates Remote Indigenous Students to Join Healthcare Workforce at Home

In the remote Gulf town of Normanton, 17-year-old Melinda Burns is following in her aunt's footsteps, inspired by her 55 years of service as a nurse. Burns is one of seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who have completed Queensland Health's Deadly Start program in North West Queensland this year, marking the program's largest cohort locally since its 2023 launch.

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Seeing my aunty give back to the community of Normanton, that is what I wanted to do.

The Deadly Start program offers First Nations students school-based traineeships, providing them with paid, hands-on healthcare experience while they finish high school. This initiative is crucial for addressing the ongoing challenge of building and retaining a healthcare workforce in regional and remote areas, where communities can be hundreds of kilometers from major health services. Indigenous workforce coordinator Shannon McConachie emphasized that training young people locally, who already have strong community ties, is a long-term solution for creating a sustainable workforce from within.

Students participating in the program gain experience in various healthcare settings, including maternity, allied health, medical wards, and child and maternal health. Placements in Cloncurry and Normanton also extend to hospital and aged care facilities. For students from remote communities like Normanton, Doomadgee, and Mornington Island, the program is designed to accommodate travel distances for school. Those studying in Mount Isa can return to their home communities during school holidays to complete their placement hours.

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We're investing in the young people who are already based in community and have strong ties to community. It's a long-term solution, building a sustainable workforce from within our local communities.

Melinda Burns discovered the Deadly Start program during a school information session. She attends Gulf Christian College in Normanton and has dedicated one day each week to hospital placements, along with additional hours during holidays. Her experience has involved assisting patients with daily care, changing beds, and supporting nurses. The hands-on nature of the work has been a significant learning experience for her, exceeding her initial expectations.

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By creating opportunities locally, young people can see a future for themselves in health right here in the North West.