First Nations COVID-19 Vaccination Training

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Initiative Type
Education and Training
Status
Deliver
Added
Last updated

Summary

The Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service's Cunningham Centre partnered with the First Nations COVID-19 Response Team in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Division of Queensland Health to develop an education program that facilitated and enabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners (HPs) and Indigenous Health Workers (IHWs), working in clinical positions across Queensland, to support the COVID-19 vaccination roll out.

This project aimed to improve outcomes for Queensland's First Nations people by bringing care on or closer to country.

52 workshops were held across 12 Hospital and Health Services in Queensland, most of them face to face. Virtual workshops were held for Torres and Cape HHS before borders opened in December 2021. The team travelled a total of more than 44,500 km to deliver these workshops. 

Key dates
Jun 2020
Dec 2021
Implementation sites
Cairns, Townsville, Palm Island, Mount Isa, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Nambour, Toowoomba and Cherbourg

Aim

The goal of the project was to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners and Health Workers knowledge of COVID-19 disease and the need for vaccination.

 

Benefits

Increasing Health Professionals' confidence and competence when discussing COVID-19 disease and vaccines. Online module feedback was overwhelmingly positive with more than 90% of respondents indicating the online modules improved their knowledge about COVID-19 vaccinations. Comments included:

  • the interactive nature and the language used can be easily communicated to community to gain better understanding and improve acceptance to get vaccines through increased informed consent
  • culturally appropriate. Enjoyed the multi-mode delivery
  • the best part of the online module was the amount of information that I am now able to help other patients understand about the vaccine
  • a total of 20 workshops were held (to date) and attended by 161 participants across. Workshop evaluation feedback was collated upon completion of each day; over 95% of participants indicated that the workshop was very good or good 
  • the workshop itself was the best parts as it has given me the knowledge and understanding about COVID-19
  • group size enabled open conversation flow and sharing
  • the interactive parts, practice jabbing, the whole day was very informative.

Background

A need was identified at the beginning of COVID-19 to train First Nations clinicians about the severity of the disease and improve their knowledge so that they can share that with their communities. .

Solutions Implemented

As a statewide model utilised a series of mandatory online modules, with a final requirement for participants to attend a hands on practical workshop for those directly involved in vaccine delivery. In addition, the training was made available to both HHS staff and staff from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (A&TSICCHOs) to increase viability and capacity.

Evaluation and Results

Online module learning feedback and workshop evaluation data was collated.

Online module feedback was overwhelmingly positive with more than 90% of respondents indicating the online modules improved their knowledge about COVID-19 vaccinations. Comments included:

  • the interactive nature and the language used can be easily communicated to community to gain better understanding and improve acceptance to get vaccines through increased informed consent
  • culturally appropriate. Enjoyed the multi-mode delivery
  • the best part of the online module was the amount of information that I am now able to help other patients understand about the vaccine.

A total of 20 workshops were held (to date) and attended by 161 participants across. Workshop evaluation feedback was collated upon completion of each day; over 95% of participants indicated that the workshop was very good or good. Comments included:

  • the workshop itself was the best parts as it has given me the knowledge and understanding about COVID-19
  • group size enabled open conversation flow and sharing
  • the interactive parts, practice jabbing, the whole day was very informative

A further follow up evaluation survey is in development to gain greater information from the workshop attendees as to how they have incorporated the training into their role e.g. what role are they playing in their workplace in the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and if they are administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Lessons Learnt

Initially the learning was designed for HPs and IHWs. The training was subsequentially expanded to allow any learner to have access to the online modules. Workshops were also expanded to allow for learners, other than HPs and IHWs to attend; this allowed for consistent key messaging about the COVID-19 vaccines to be delivered in remote communities by all staff.

Review of the online training module statistics indicated that there was a huge diversity of people enrolled in the online learning. Data showed that learners identified speaking 14 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and 30 other languages.

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Key contact

Gregory Richards
Acting Director (First Nations COVID-19)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Division
07 37085551
gregory.richards@health.qld.gov.au

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