Learning About Cultural Safety & Humility in Patient Engagement

Eliminating anti-Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) racism and promoting cultural safety and humility is a high priority across our health system. The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, which administers PVN, is committed to providing patient and health care partners with opportunities for continued growth in this area to drive positive change.

Here are a couple opportunities coming up in March for you to learn more about Indigenous cultural safety and humility:

On March 9, we invite you to attend Culturally Safe Patient Engagement – What Matters to Indigenous Patient Partners. You’ll learn more about culturally safe and appropriate ways for health care partners to work together with Indigenous patient partners in engagement opportunities.

During this session, we will explore the recently released resource Culturally Safe Engagement: What Matters to Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) Patient Partners Companion Guide, which was created by the voices of Indigenous patient partners.

The Pamphlet is an at-a-glance version of the companion guide. It highlights the eight principles of culturally safe engagement which include: awareness and understanding, learning and education, build relationships, prepare, kindness and empathy, respect, value and listen.

For PVN patient partners, we invite you to check out the San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program. This online training program is designed to enhance self-awareness and strengthen the skills of those who work both directly and indirectly with Indigenous people. You’ll learn more about culture, stereotyping and the consequences of colonization as well as the history of the Indian residential schools and Indian hospitals.

We are sponsoring 35 patient partners to attend. If you are interested, please RSVP by March 15.

Since 2019, we have supported over 75 patient partners to complete this training. Here’s a peek at their experiences:

“This learning and unlearning opportunity is so valuable. I highly recommend this course and thanks everyone who as and will contribute to providing this important education.” -PVN patient partner

“This program has helped me to feel closer to Indigenous people and more engaged in reconcilliation.” -PVN patient partner

“Take the course and come join the effort to prove that we are collectively worthy of sharing this amazing unceded territory we have been allowed to share. Become part of the solution!” -D’Arcy McCrea, patient partner