Because your voice matters.

Speaker, First Nations Residential School Survivor

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Open to Northern Region, Volunteers in Kitsumkalum or Terrace

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You have a story to tell. Your story can help create understanding of the impact of residential schools on you, and your families’ health and well-being. Northwest Community College (NWCC) is asking you to help shape the future of nursing towards compassionate, culturally sensitive care by sharing your story with nursing students at their Terrace Campus.
Open to: Volunteers in Kitsumkalum or Terrace

Lead Organization or Department

Nursing Faculty, Northwest Community College Terrace Campus

Aim

To provide nursing students with an understanding of how the residential school system has impacted the health and wellbeing of not only those who survived residential school, but, also, how this lived experienced impacts their families and future generations. Telling of a patient’s own experience and story will help the students to better understand how past traumas have impacted the survivor and their families, how nurses can be more culturally sensitive and provide nursing care that is culturally safe, and to apply this knowledge to their future nursing practice when working with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement (www.iap2.org). 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

  • A patient or a family member of someone who has attended First Nations Residential School.
  • Comfortable sharing your story.
  • Patients should have previously attended a PVN orientation session.  If you have not attended an orientation but are interested please contact Cathy Almost directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics

  • Vacancies: 1-2
  • Friday either November 4 or 18 between 9am – noon, speak for 30-45 minutes
  • Please consider bringing a support person or family member with you
  • NWCC Terrace Campus

Reimbursement

Mileage will be reimbursed. Lunch will be provided.

Background

We are aware that the historical traumas experienced by Indigenous Peoples have had a significant impact on their health outcomes. Through the power of storytelling, we hope to increase the understanding of our second year nursing students, building a more culturally sensitive care team. We acknowledge the sensitive nature of this subject for both the presenter and the students and are hopeful that this will lead to a robust conversation towards understanding and healing.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

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

From Our Community

Karla Warkotsch

Patient Experience Consultant – Interior Health

Karla Warkotsch

The question I like to ask health care employees is ‘Who is this for?’ and ‘Do we have the right people at the table?’ As a health care employee, I see how easy it is to fall into doing for, rather than doing with patients. The voices of the patient, family and caregiver are essential to ensure the patient is central to the direction and focus of the work being done.

Members of the BCPSQC pose for a team photo at the Quality Forum 2019.

Health Quality BC administers the Patient Voices Network. Using evidence-informed strategies, the Council shifts culture, improves clinical practice and advances person- and family-centred care to support high-quality care for every person in our province.