Undergraduate Nursing Students' Experience of Northern Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities

• Published in: Diversity of Research in Health Journal
• Main Authors: Sarah Le Roux B.H.Sc., B.Sc.N., RN, Rachelle Breen, B.H.Sc., B.Sc.N, CIC, RN, Joanne Carbonneau RN B.Sc.N., M.Ed.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French
• Published: Laurentian University Library & Archives 2022
• Subjects: rural; nursing; Indigenous; cultural awareness; student experience; service learning model; nursing praxis; cultural competence; OCAP; Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC); Medicine; R; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.28984/drhj.v5i2.344; https://doaj.org/article/b10663dc25db4e4bae68f26e755139fa

Undergraduate nursing programs are moving towards a service learning model in teaching nursing student cultural awareness. In this article, we discuss the nursing student experience in a university elective which immerses students in rural and remote Indigenous communities resulting in cultural consciousness. This service learning experience that students encountered promoted growth in nursing praxis, and fostered positive curriculum growth and community partnerships between the College and the Indigenous communities in which they visited. Students gained cultural consciousness and increased awareness, which is beneficial in their future nursing careers as they grow into better culturally competent care providers. Also discussed is the history and background of these Indigenous communities, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the First Nations Principles of OCAP (ownership, control, access and possession). These topics are discussed in detail throughout the student experience as they respond to nurses’ professional standards, development of cultural competency and integrating calls to action in truth and reconciliation.