- A dedicated First Nations family lounge has opened at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families a culturally safe space to stay connected with Country during a hospital stay.
- The new space, named Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba or Family Sitting Place, was co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, families and staff.
- The project was made possible by a $100,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities Family Centred Care grant.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families now have a dedicated culturally safe space at the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH), with the opening of a First Nations family lounge.
The new space, named Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba or Family Sitting Place, provides a peaceful place of respite for children and their families when they attend the QCH for care. The space gives communities the opportunity to maintain connection to Country, particularly those from rural and remote communities across Queensland.
Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba was officially opened today as part of National Reconciliation Week, with cultural performances, workshops and a showcase of the hospital’s current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
The space was designed through consultation and co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, staff, designers and artists to recognise culture, the desire for connection and a reminder of home for First Nations families visiting the hospital.
The project was made possible by a $100,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities Family Centred Care grant.
Children’s Health Queensland’s Executive Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Angela Young (Kullalli/Koa) said it was important to provide a healing environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families.
“At Children’s Health Queensland, we have a unique opportunity to reshape the way that care is delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, by embedding culture in the delivery of our services.
“In the development of the Health Equity Strategy, community members told us that we needed more culturally safe places and spaces where families could be together in healing.
“Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba, has been created with family, connection, and Country in mind. It has direct access to outdoor areas, open sitting areas and private yarning spaces, access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care workers, and lots of activities to keep young ones busy.
“We are really proud to offer a space, centred in culture for Mob to use when they are here,” she said.
Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba features a diverse range of artworks depicting land, rainforest and reef from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creators all over the state. This element of the room provides visiting families with another element of connection to their home communities.
One of the featured artists, Casey Coolwell-Fisher’s (Quandamooka, Nunukul woman of Minjerribah) artwork ‘Returning from Visit’, unveiled in the hospital last year, decorates the windows and is hand-painted onto a custom table, representing the experience of children and families returning home after a hospital stay.
Nathaniel Chapman, a proud Goenpul Yuggera artist also collaborated with First Nations artist Sam Harrison to hand-paint a floor-to-ceiling column as families enter the space, depicting interconnected trails and safe meeting places.
Other artists represented in the space are from communities across Queensland including Mornington Island, Moa Arts, Lockhart River, Aurukun, Pormpuraaw, Wujal Wujal, Palm Island and Girringun.
Children’s Health Queensland Chief Executive Frank Tracey said the new Family Sitting Place was another important step forward on the journey towards health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
“When children and young people need care, it’s vital that they and their families feel welcome and culturally safe in our hospital to ensure they get the care they need as soon as possible,” he said.
“We have been led by the voices of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, to provide a space that is welcoming, safe and celebrates art, stories and connection to Country.”
Jimbulang Nye-nan-ba is located on Level two in the Family Resource Centre, colocated with the hospital’s Indigenous Health Liaison Service.