Bessie (Darrangul) Martin Training Centre

Wurli-Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service has a unique on-site education program specifically designed to train and assess Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to become Registered Aboriginal Health Workers. The Bessie Darrangul Martin Training Centre has been operating for seven years on the main clinic grounds and in this time there have been thirteen graduates from the Certificates III and IV in Aboriginal Health Work (Clinical) and Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice).

Bessie (Darrangul) Martin Training Centre The Trainees are fully supported and mentored by a Clinical Educator who guides them through their learning and assessment journey to realise their dream to become a Registered Aboriginal Health Worker.

The Trainee Aboriginal Health Workers (TAHWs) apply to be employed in the two-year training program and go through an application, interview, short listing, and selection process, with two new Trainees commencing at the beginning of each year.

During orientation week Trainees learn about the organisation, the health care industry as a whole, and the concept of health and life care. They are included in the ‘Wurli family’ as learners and teachers, for it is a two-way training program and they are encouraged to be fully involved in health care.

This allows them to:

become acquainted with other staff members and understand roles in the organisation
learn policies and procedures through observation and working with registered clinical staff
participate in a comprehensive training and assessment program
practice TAHW clinical skills and work alongside other Clinicians
attend a regional Indigenous Registered Training Organisation dedicated to Aboriginal training and assessment
use a wide range of resources, research facilities and infrastructure for learning all skills
embrace the health care system and the importance of all team members
learn basic, intermediate and advanced clinical skills in a culturally safe training environment
complete their training in two years and graduate as Registered Aboriginal Health Workers.

Training As an Aboriginal Medical Service, we maintain a high quality, dedicated Trainee Aboriginal Health Worker Program to:

encourage Aboriginal people to obtain nationally accredited qualifications as healthcare Clinicians
retain Aboriginal people in health and encourage further studies and qualifications
RAHW is a role model for others in their community who wish to become Clinicians
care for and teach others in the community to live a healthy lifestyle
uphold self-empowerment and improve physical and socio-emotional health
ensure that health care is high quality and professional at all times for all people.

The Trainee Aboriginal Health Worker Program is Training important as it creates a safe learning and assessment environment for students to gain their knowledge, clinical skills, qualification and practitioner registration.

The Trainees and the Registered Aboriginal Health Workers learn from the Clinical Educator and the Clinicians through a variety of methods--including theory and practice--in the Bessie Darrangul Martin Training Centre, and in the clinical setting. There is a training session every month for all clinicians in special areas such as emergency care, giving vaccines, QAAMS HbA1c (Quality Assurance for Aboriginal Medical Services diabetes testing), point of care testing, and advanced clinical skills.