Kate Adams, a professional officer with the Association, was recently acknowledged at a gala ceremony for her lifetime support of CATSINaM, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Kate’s award, the 2024 Lifetime Ally Award, was presented by CATSINaM president Vanessa Browne.
The award recognises Kate’s “lifelong support and leadership in advocating for and leading systemic changes within the nursing, midwifery and broader health and education sector for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses, midwives, students and care recipients.”
When CATSINaM was being established in the mid- 1990s, Kate sent emails to NSWNMA members asking any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members to contact her about a new organisation being established to represent them.
“We were lucky to get 25 people to come to the first meeting. I’m very proud that I was involved in that very first meeting,” says Kate, who was a nurse specialising in women’s health before joining the Association.
The Indigenous leader and nurse, the late Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, was an early supporter and spoke to the first gathering, later becoming a CATSINaM patron.
When CATSINaM was being established the NSWNMA did not have any record of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander membership, but Kate says the Association’s “engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members has improved” over the intervening years. NSWNMA members who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander are now automatically members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Member Circle.
“The greatest thing is there are now a lot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives who are engaged in all nursing unions across Australia.”
CATSINaM and NSWNMA still have much work to do to, says Kate. “There are Indigenous nurse practitioners out there who are absolutely outraged at the equipment they can’t get, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are suffering diseases that have been eradicated in the rest of the population.”
As part of her award, Kate was presented with a custom designed two-toned brooch, designed by Jawoyn and Kala Lagaw Ya man Thomas Coen, that incorporates elements of the CATSINaM logo.