Patient Speaker, Indigenous Medicine and Food – Coast Mountain College

Why would it be important for nursing students to have knowledge related to Indigenous traditional foods and medicine? How can they use this knowledge to improve the health and wellness of the Indigenous population in the care that they provide? Share your knowledge related to Indigenous traditional foods and medicine with these inquiring minds. Help them to become better health care providers!

Open to: Patient partners living in Kitsumkalum, Kulspai or Terrace

Lead Organization or Department

Nursing Faculty, Northwest Community College Terrace Campus

Aim

The main goal of the initiative is to broaden the nursing students' understanding related to Indigenous traditional foods and medicine and the roles that these play in contributing to the health and well-being of the Indigenous population. To provide the nursing students with an awareness of the traditional practices related to medicine and food and how we might incorporate these into our health care planning when a patient/family has identified that they practice and use traditional medicines and foods as part of maintaining their own health and wellness and that of their family. The patient partner would provide first-hand knowledge about these practices, stimulating discussion and reflection on how we as nurses could incorporate this into our nursing practice and care.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 1-2 patient speakers
• Monday, December 2 (could be flexible with this date) between 9 am – noon, speak for 30-45 minutes
• Coast Mountain College, Terrace campus

Reimbursement

Mileage will be reimbursed. Lunch will be provided.

Background

Students have a keen interest in learning more about Indigenous traditional medicines, ceremonies and foods, and the significant role that this plays in the health and well-being of Indigenous population. We will be learning about how practicing traditional medicines and eating traditional foods may have been lost through colonization and assimilation. We will, also, be learning about how these medicines, foods, and ceremonies contribute to improved health and well-being in the Indigenous population. Having someone come tell their own story about their experience using traditional foods and medicines would provide the students with a richer experience that could not be gained from a textbook. The class is made up of 22 second-year nursing students currently taking an introductory course on First Nations Health.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Cathy Almost
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Northern BC
250.615.9932
calmost@bcpsqc.ca