Investing in the future

The Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada held its 2016 National Training Forum in Montreal February 16 and 17, bringing together First Nations, Inuit and Métis health-care professionals. The conference featured a Cree Health Board presentation on the “Integration of novice Cree Nurses in Region 18, James Bay Cree”.

Melanie Fisher, Mary Louise Snowboy and Sarah Cowboy outlined the issues faced by the health-care industry of Eeyou Istchee. For starters, pre-health science, math and chemistry credits are difficult for secondary students to obtain as they are only available in schools outside of the Cree Nation.

Enrolment in professional health-care programs is very low among Cree students. Attempts to address this, such as the nursing program targeting Aboriginal students previously offered at Cégep Saint-Félicien’s Chibougamau campus, have not produced the desired results. None of the Cree students registered in the program were able to meet the requirements to become a licensed nurse in Quebec.

All of these factors are compounded by the fact that nurses, and other health-care professionals must pass through several developmental stages in their careers and recently certified nurses do not have the necessary knowledge and skill sets to work on their own in a remote location.

“I’m glad to say that we’re not the only ones,” said Snowboy in an interview following the presentation. “Looking at all the workshops I saw over the course of the conference, other [First Nations] communities across the country are having the same problems getting Aboriginal nurses into mainstream practice and trying to recruit Aboriginals into nursing.”

Snowboy said it’s difficult for potential nurses up north to get the education and proper training needed to pass the required exams. Another key missing ingredient is support and preparation for students who sign up for health-related programs; though the Cree Health Board and Cree School Board are doing everything they can to improve graduation rates.

“The main goal of our presentation was to emphasize the importance of supporting Cree students when they leave to study outside of their community,” said Snowboy. “It’s very lonely. You’re 1600 kilometres away from home, you need support from your family, you need support from your community.

“There should be support from the Cree Health Board, the Cree School Board and the local band councils,” she continued. “It really helps when you know that there are people back home who want you to finish school.”

Snowboy went on to say that the current high school curriculum should be looked at to see how to improve students’ chances for success in a profession that interests them.

“Students need more than just support, they need preparation. They need to know what to expect. When you’re in college, it’s not the same as high school. Nobody’s going to run after you and tell you, ‘Oh you have to finish this work.’ You have to be disciplined.”

“Right now we’re trying to improve the education,” she said. “I think that system should also be looked at, not just for nurses, but for other professions like pharmacy and radiology.”

Ultimately, says Snowboy, a health-science-related education must be seen as an investment.

“We have to understand that having Cree professionals is an investment. It’s important to have people who are sensitive to Cree culture and sensitive to the needs of Cree people. Not just in nursing, but in other professions.”