The journey: learning to listen, listening to learn

• Main Author: Pynn, Debra
• Other Authors: MacNeil, Joan
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: First Nations; aboriginal health; novice nurses; remote area; health centres; urban health; community health
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/4114

This paper describes the development and content of a workshop in the orientation of novice nurses to the aboriginal health nursing setting. While it uses the context of remote area nursing to act as the backdrop for the orientation, it is the author’s contention that the material could easily be transitioned and applied to First Nations health centres in the urban and community health setting. The project uses a metaphoric canoe journey, story telling and role play as pedagogical tools to enhance and challenge nurse’s ways of knowing and ways of being within this unique context. It contests the historical, mechanistic, biomedical worldview that has predominated health care delivery in First Nations communities with one that is more contextually appropriate and addresses relational practice, embodiment, self awareness and contextual understanding (i.e. cultural, historical, social, ecological and political context) as foundational building blocks for remote area practice in First Nations. Graduate