2019  NAFEA  Scholarship  Recipient    

Anita  Tait  Griffith  University  

Bachelor  of  Nutrition  and  Dietetics    Earlier   this   year   I  was   relocated   to  Mackay   in  Queensland  and  Darwin   in   the  Northern  Territory  as  part  of  my  practical  placement  for  my  degree  in  Nutrition  and  Dietetics.      Within  Mackay  I  worked  at  the  Mental  Health  Community  Centre  and  also  at  the  Mackay  Base  Hospital  within  the  Surgical  Unit  for  6-­‐weeks.    The  experience  of  working  within  the  region  of  Mackay  has  provided  me  with  an  insight  into  the  challenges   faced   by   patients   living   in   rural   areas.   I   noted   the   importance   of  managing  nutrition  education  within  the  inpatient  setting  before  patients  were  discharged   back   to   rural   and   remote   locations   where   managing   health  conditions   can   be   challenging   due   to   the   lack   of   Medical   Professionals   and  facilities.      Within  my  work  at  Mackay  Base  Hospital   there  was  also  more   variety   in   the  types  of  patient  presentations,  mainly  due  to  less  specialist  wards  and  facilities  within  the  region.  This  allowed  me  to  expand  my  knowledge  and  education  on  managing  a  wide  variety  of  surgical  conditions  within  my  case  load.        During  my  time  in  Darwin  I  had  the  pleasure  of  working  with  the  Arnhem  Land  Progress  Aboriginal  Corporation  for  6-­‐weeks.    This  experience  provided  me  with  an  incredible  opportunity  to  travel  to  two  remote  parts  of  the  Northern  Territory  (Gunbalanya  and  the  island  of  Milingimbi).  I  travelled  to  these  locations  on  small  charter  planes  overlooking  the  great  Kakadu  National  Park  which  was  an  exciting  and  very  unique  experience.      Within  these  very  remote  locations  I  was  exposed  to  the  health  challenges  faced  by  Aboriginal  and  Torres  Strait  Islander  Australians  while  also  learning  about  the  beautiful  culture,  language  and  way  of  life.  Working  within  these  very  remote  communities  has  influenced  my  motivation  for  providing  nutritional  education  

to  individuals  and  communities  who  may  lack  the  basic  education  and  resources  that  would  otherwise  prevent  the  incidence  of  chronic  disease.    

       Darwin  city  is  also  a  fantastic  place  to  live  and  during  my  placement  I  was  able  to  meet  a  great  group  of  local  Health  Professionals  and  fellow  health  students.  

Most  weekends  were   filled  with   adventures   of   the   local  wonders  within   the  Litchfield  National  Park,  the  local  Noonamah  Rodeo,  the  incredible  Mindil  Beach  markets  with  those  incredible  sunsets  and  live  local  music  festivals.      Overall,  I  realise  I  have  a  passion  for  working  within  a  community  that  requires  dedicated   Health   Professionals   who   have   the   cultural   knowledge   to   connect  with   the   community.   This   scholarship   has   provided   me   with   an   invaluable  experience  within  a  rural  and  remote  environment  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  work  as  a  Dietitian  within  these  locations  at  some  stage  in  my  career.  This  way,  I  will  be  able  to  make  a  significant  difference  to  people’s  health  through  evidenced  based  practice  in  nutrition  science  while  also  gaining  experience  in  all  area’s  of  Dietetics  that   I  can  pass  onto  my  professional  peers.  This  experience  has  also  motivated  me  to  advocate  for  more  Health  Professionals  to  work  within  these  rural   and   remote   locations   in   order   to   combat   the   alarming   prevalence   of  chronic  disease.      I   would   like   to   thank   NAFEA   for   providing   me   with   their   generous   financial  support  and  therefore,  the  opportunity  to  work  within  two  very  fascinating  rural  and  remote  areas  of  Australia  for  my  University  placement.