New partnership delivers equity in primary health care placements for First Nations students

APNA is working with Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) to support five First Nations nursing students’ travel, accommodation and expenses to conduct a primary health care placement at Armajun Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, in Inverell, NSW.

The five students were selected through a competitive process and came from the University of New England, Griffith University, and Queensland University of Technology. Placements are staggered, with the first student starting placement from August 2025 and the final student concluding placement in April 2026.

Inverell is classed as MMM4 in rurality, which makes it difficult for students to travel to with ease. By utilising APNA’s existing and fully supported National Nursing Clinical Placement Program, the PHN’s funding provides equity of access to primary care.

HNECC PHN Chief Executive Officer Richard Nankervis said, “The PHN aims to deliberately increase equity of access to primary care, ensuring all initiatives focus on reducing health disparities and improving outcomes for all community members.”

Miriam Harper, APNA’s Client Relationship Officer, leads the joint project. This collaborative project between APNA and the PHN aims to provide students with culturally safe, enriching primary health care placement experiences while fostering active engagement with the Inverell community.

Interested in delivering a similar project in your region? Please email our Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Lauren Doddo.