Research Cluster: Indigenous Health & Practice Based Nursing

Cluster Research Team:

Co-LeadS:

• Colleen Sey­mour, Tk’emlups Knowl­edge Holder
• R. Lisa Bourque Bearskin PhD, Asso­ciate Pro­fes­sor, School of Nurs­ing, TRU
• Judy Sturm RN, MN, MSN, Abo­rig­i­nal Men­tal Well­ness Direc­tor, IH.

Cluster Members:

• Leslie Bryant, Region­al Prac­tice Lead, Research & Indige­nous Engage­ment, IH
• Rob­line Dav­ey M.Ed, Learn­ing Strate­gist, TRU
• Allyson Dav­ey MD, FRCPC (Pedi­atrics)
• Shirlie Delacherois, Abo­rig­i­nal Recruiter, IH
• Mel­ba D’Souza PhD, Assis­tant Pro­fes­sor, TRU
• Rose Mel­nyk BScN, Abo­rig­i­nal Lead, IH, MN stu­dent, TRU
• Tra­cy Mooney, Abo­rig­i­nal Employ­ment Advi­sor, Inte­ri­or Health
• Dar­lene Sander­son PhD, Asso­ciate Pro­fes­sor, PhD, TRU

Nurs­ing fac­ul­ty have been long­stand­ing cham­pi­ons for Indige­nous Health and Indige­nous nurs­ing. In recog­ni­tion of the World Health Orga­ni­za­tion (WHO) Cam­paign 2020 as Year of the Nurse and Mid­wife we wish to cel­e­brate the con­tri­bu­tion of nurs­ing to the world’s health and are excit­ed to work togeth­er with local lead­ers to devel­op research aimed at Advanc­ing Indige­nous Well­ness by Rec­on­cil­ing Par­al­lel Path­ways in Indige­nous Health Nurs­ing: Inno­vat­ing Wise Prac­tices for Edu­ca­tion, Stan­dards, Part­ner­ships, and Research. This research pro­gram is based in a knowl­edge co-cre­ation process through col­lab­o­ra­tion with Indige­nous and non-Indige­nous health providers guid­ed by cul­tur­al gov­er­nance pro­to­cols and prin­ci­ples estab­lished by an Advi­so­ry Council.

We believe that Indige­nous Health Nurs­ing (IHN) is an inte­gral com­po­nent of Indige­nous health­care. Indige­nous Health Nurs­ing pro­motes nurs­ing prac­tices that respect tra­di­tion­al knowl­edge is foun­da­tion­al for heal­ing amongst First Nations, Inu­it, and Métis peo­ples. We will main­tain rela­tion­al account­abil­i­ty to our knowl­edge hold­ers while ensur­ing mutu­al reci­procity is gained through our col­lec­tive rela­tion­ships in sup­port­ing alter­nate path­ways in nursing.

We are com­mit­ted to work­ing with com­mu­ni­ties, and across dis­ci­plines in ways that pro­mote com­mu­ni­ty par­tic­i­pa­tion and empow­ers nurs­es to enhance research approach­es aimed at improv­ing access to health care and cre­at­ing cul­tur­al­ly safe and secure health care envi­ron­ments. All research is based in a knowl­edge co-cre­ation process through col­lab­o­ra­tion with Indige­nous and non-Indige­nous health providers guid­ed by Indige­nous pro­to­cols and prin­ci­ples to devel­op actions that will address the unique health needs of Indige­nous women, men, two-spir­it, and gen­der-diverse per­sons in health professions.

TRU is com­mit­ted to pro­vid­ing the high­est qual­i­ty teach­ing, research, and com­mu­ni­ty ser­vice with­in the nations and cit­i­zens of Thomp­son Cari­boo and Okana­gan Regions with­in British Colum­bia, and to build and main­tain strate­gic part­ner­ships with our com­mu­ni­ties. We look for­ward to your par­tic­i­pa­tion in uphold­ing TRU’s Mis­sion and work­ing col­lec­tive­ly to improve the health of Indige­nous peo­ples in BC. This oppor­tu­ni­ty will help devel­op and sus­tain wise prac­tices for work­ing with First Nations, Métis, and Inu­it pop­u­la­tions in urban, rur­al, and iso­lat­ed areas to redress inequities in health.

We want to thank you for your pres­ence and par­tic­i­pa­tion while in this ter­ri­to­ry where Peo­ples from the Secwépemc Nations have been shar­ing their land and knowl­edge of teach­ing and learn­ing since time immemorial.