As our time together as a class comes to an end I have been reflecting on all of the valuable lessons I’ve taken from the group as a whole and all of our amazing guest speakers. Taking this course has been a truly valuable experience and I have grown as a person and a nurse. I wanted to take the opportunity to dedicate my last blog post to highlight some of the great experiences and lessons that have come from our Wednesday evening gatherings.
Over the past few months we have…
Used reflective practice to further our understanding of topics covered in class through the use of this blog. Reflection is an extremely valuable tool for us nurses. It is a busy and demanding career and reflection allows us to make meaning of difficult situations or learning experiences. As students we often think of reflections as a nuisance, but I have finally (in my fourth and final year) realized the importance of having a personal outlet for your professional practice. It has helped me through some very difficult clinical experiences and as well as helping me to improve my practices and enhance my knowledge.
Held class in a sharing circle format. We all sat facing each other at the same level and it aided in helping us become more comfortable with sharing our views and knowledge in an open and direct way. This is not the typical set up we see in our regular nursing courses. The sharing circle allowed us to all feel welcomed and valued. It kept us all engaged through a three hour evening class (and we all know what those lectures can be like!) With such a small group (nine students, plus Ashlee) the circle really contributed to the feeling of closeness I think we all felt each Wednesday evening.
Learned the importance of balance and being interconnected. These two themes seemed to come up every week with every guest speaker. Taking care of the earth, and taking care of your body are equally important priorities. Remember that if we allow the poor treatment of the environment to continue, our health will fail right along side. The nutrients we need to maintain a healthy body are harvested from the earth. If we can no longer grow the food we need due to environmental damage, we will be in big trouble. This links directly to our physical health, but what about our mental health? How would you feel if our seasons changed? Our summers are too hot to enjoy those leisurely days at the beach, our winters are no longer snow-filled and our skiing season is no more. I know I personally depend on my time spent outdoors to help keep my head clear, and I would be at a loss without the beauty and uniqueness of all four seasons we so luckily get to experience here in Atlantic Canada. As someone who felt I always held the environment as a high priority, this class has opened my eyes to a much bigger picture of how dependent our health and well-being are to a healthy world.
Learned the true importance of providing culturally sensitive care. This class has opened our eyes to how important it is to be open to understanding other cultures. Just because it is the culture of our neighbors doesn’t make it any less important. It is important to treat people as individuals with unique values and beliefs. The more I learned about aboriginal culture throughout this course, it because more apparent that we have more similarities than differences. It is important to keep in mind that everyone you encounter comes from a unique set of circumstances and as a health care provider you should be ready to shape your care to best suit your client.
I hope this has given you all a nice snapshot of what this class was like! I would encourage any nursing student to take this course, not only will it help you develop a true sense of cultural sensitivity but it is a great change in pace and mindset from your other courses. A great mix of academia and personal sharing.
Not to mention, Ashlee! She brings so much to the class with her background in research. She inspired us to get involved and I’m glad I did! Everyone can benefit from learning about cultures other than their own. This class was focused on aboriginal culture and health but the lessons we’ve taken from it can be used to practice cultural competence across all backgrounds. I will truly miss this class.
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 