Collaborating for
Success – A Partnership
for the Success of
Aboriginal Students in
Health Programs at
Thompson Rivers
University
Susan Duncan, Star Mahara,
Joanne Brown, & David Lindley
Funded by:
Aboriginal Health Human
Resources Initiative (AHHRI)
FNHC/AHHRI BC Post Secondary Institution Gathering 2009
The campuses of Thompson Rivers University are located
on the traditional and unceded lands of the Secwepemc
people
AHHRI Collaboration
• Thompson Rivers University
– School of Nursing
– Aboriginal Education Centre
– School of Social Work
• Secwepemc Cultural Education Society
• Simon Fraser University and Kamloops
Indian Band
• Interior Health
Aboriginal Nursing Project
• Funding Sources
– Nursing Directorate
– Ministry of Advanced Education Innovation
Grant
– Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative
Aboriginal Nursing Project
• Recruitment
• Practical Supports
• Faculty
Development
Four Stages of the Continuum of
Health-Care Education and Practice
(McBride and Gregory, 2005)
• Upstream
• Transitions
• Access and Admission to
education and practice
• Future practice – mentoring, culturally
appropriate workplace, career
development
Central Questions
• What characteristics of nurses and other
health professionals are needed by Aboriginal
communities now and in the future?
• What opportunities exist for Aboriginal nursing
students to practice and learn in your
community or organization? What supports
would you need for this to happen?
• For non- Aboriginal students ...?
AHHRI Objectives
• Relationship building with Aboriginal
communities and groups
• Bridging program development / Summer
Institute
• Curriculum development: Practice Education in
Aboriginal Contexts
• Career and Leadership Development
Goals of Community Gathering
• Share Perspectives on Health Education
Programs
• Strengthen Partnerships
• Community Survey and Demographic Analysis
• Identify Opportunities for Nursing Students to
Learn in Aboriginal Communities and
Organizations
• Identify and Communicate Next Steps
Summary of Key Findings
• Factors contributing to success in postsecondary programs: child and family support,
financial support, affordable housing, flexibility
for family and community responsibilities
• Distance learning requires support and personal
interaction
• A large percentage of the population require
preparatory programs
• Programs should be culturally inclusive
Health Education Programs in PostSecondary Institutions
• Health Education Programs as Pathways for
Development and Career Mobility
• Health Education Programs for the Development
of Accessible Relevant Health Services Provision
in all Communities and Organizations
• Health Education Programs for Community
Health Promotion
Looking to the Future
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Partnerships
Curriculum development
Placement opportunities
Preparatory programs
Evaluation and research
– Recruitment materials
– Practical Supports
– Faculty Development
Cultural Safety Modules
• A collaborative effort of University of
Victoria and TRU nursing faculty, and
Aboriginal persons from Vancouver island
and the BC Interior
• Three modules: for on-line or face-to-face
learning situations
Cultural Safety TRU/IHA
• Faculty development work is a process- not one-off thing
• Need commitment of institution, practice agencies, and
the School of Nursing
• Positives
– CRNBC Competencies Required of New Graduates –
requires cultural safety
– New Health Assessment Text: Browne, A.J., & Varcoe, C.
(2009). Cultural and social considerations in health
assessment. In C. Jarvis, A.J. Browne, J. MacDonaldJenkins, & M. Luctkar-Flude, (Eds.). Physical examination
& health assessment (1st Canadian ed.) (pp. 35-50).
Toronto, ON: Elsevier. Utilizes a critical cultural (cultural
safety) perspective
Aboriginal Health Class for Year One Nursing
Students
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Canadian history: Colonization
The residential school experience
The First Peoples of this territory
Health promotion: Working together with
Aboriginal people
Designing Classes for Students
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Work with Aboriginal community members
In this case – classes were designed in collaboration with an Elder
DVD – “The Fallen Feather”
Elder helped students understand more about his worldview. Help
students deal with their emotions to the reality of Canada's colonial
history and the Residential Schools; encourage students as “future
healers”
• Course evaluation – new information to many students; want to
know more; want increased opportunities to work with Aboriginal
people
• Better understanding of current issues e.g., importance of
traditional lands –”Health and Land – Go Hand in Hand”
• Increased respect for strength of Aboriginal peoples
Nursing Practice Opportunities
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Students work with Aboriginal communities on projects: involving families at
the daycare; increasing flu immunization; lack of transportation on KIB reserve
Project with Simpcw youth group – view of health, views of education;
encourage to consider health careers – field trip to TRU and nursing learning
centre – Aunties and uncles as chaperones; Aboriginal student role models
helping out; students welcomed by Elder and FNSA president; students
wanting to learn about how their bodies functioned; also very dextrous
handling equipment
Youth and Nursing Students at Chu Chua
Simpcw Youth at TRU Nursing
Learning Centre
BP Practice and Collages of Health
Mentoring and Leadership
Development
• Students encouraged to present at
conferences
• Senior students role model and
mentor first year students
• Involve students in Aboriginal health
organizations: (FN Nurses Practice
Group; NINA – AGM and Visioning
meeting; membership in NINA and
ANAC – students meet other role
models/mentors
• We have helped several students
obtain substantial scholarships and
bursaries – especially ones related to
leadership
Students Help With Recruitment in
Aboriginal Communities
• Important role models for
youth
• Gain experience teaching
community members
about health; about
nursing as a career
• Especially powerful when
students travel to their
own community
AHHRI Phase 3
• Career and Leadership Development. Assist
Aboriginal nurses to access graduate education.
• Need to work with education institutes, graduates,
and workplace representatives to understand
transition issues and support needs
• Two of our recent graduates have begun Masters
degree studies
• How do we replace these valued health
professionals when they are back in school for
further education?
Challenges
1. Cultural safety cannot be reduced to a checklist – it is
relational and thus on-going – it happens with every
encounter between faculty-student or health
professional and client; requires commitment to study
the self.
2. How to work with IHA and Aboriginal communities to
increase opportunities for students to work with
Aboriginal people?
3. Aboriginal graduates with advanced education –
valuable in the workplace, and as teachers of new
health professionals – can we create joint appointments
that allow practice and education to benefit?