Fall 2015 Bloggers
Beth Marinelli
My name is Beth Marinelli I am 21 years old and currently in my fourth year of Nursing at Cape Breton University. As many other nurses I have a passion and need to help others. Learning about other cultures health needs is something I hope to take to my future career. I aspire to be a compassionate, caring nurse and one who is aware and sensitive to the cultural needs of indigenous people.
Mark Delaney
My name is Mark Delaney (hershelf) and I’m a third-year student at CBU. I’m not in nursing – I took this class because of its historical and cultural perspective on indigenous people. My degree – long story short – is concerned with history & culture from 3 Canadian perspectives; anglophone, francophone and indigenous. My perspective, needless to say, is not from health or public health (although I do have
some past experience in Health & Safety in hospital and clinic settings.) All of that means I’m looking for the legacy of colonialism in everything: from the inconsistencies of history to the contemporary public health of indigenous communities; it’s all fair game to me.
Mandy Nicholson
This
is so exciting! I’ve always wanted to blog, but never had the courage… Guess it’s time to put my fears aside 🙂
I’ll keep my profile short, sweet & to the point: friends & family call me “Mands”, I’m a mom of 2, I procrastinate way more than the average person, and I’m a former teacher / future nurse (currently studying at Cape Breton University). I prefer to read text books over any other type of literature, I enjoy giving presentations & I develop curriculum materials for fun (odd, I know).
I’ve been intrigued by the social determinants of health since my very first nursing course. Evidence of health disparities in Indigenous populations, along with the social determinants that cause(d) these disparities, have been addressed weekly in this class and have greatly broadened my understanding. Contact: mandynicholson@hotmail.com
Allan
Hi everyone, my name is Allan Batten I’m 23 years young, and I am a fourth-year nursing student at Cape Breton University. I’m currently in my sixth year of university; therefore, I’ve been working at becoming the best nurse I could possibly be for quite some time. What better way to help this goal of mine along than to take this course, and have background in the factors facing the health of the Indigenous population today.Coming from a large family with four sisters and 6 nieces and nephews it shouldn’t come as a surprise that in my future endeavors I hope to become a Pediatric nurse. Having given you an introduction to me, I hope you will appreciate me sharing the information I have learned, and been inspired by and I hope you’ll stay tuned to our blog! Contact Info: allanEbatten@hotmail.com
Fall 2014 Bloggers
Susie Morrison
My name is Susi
e Morrison & I am a 31 year old 3rd Year BsCN student at Cape Breton University. I was born and raised on Cape Breton Island and I plan on staying & raising a family here. Like many Capers, I have a connection to my community. I also have a strong passion for the health & wellness of it’s people. I enjoy working in the community and volunteering at community events as part of the CBU Nursing Society. Part of being a Registered Nurse is providing culturally sensitive care. I am hoping to learn as much as possible about our Indigenous Cape Bretoners’ traditions and practices as I believe it will make me a better Nurse in our District. This has been an amazing learning experience so far and my wish is that this course become a core part of our 4 year degree. In addition to being a student I have been a volunteer fitness instructor on the island for almost 15 years. I am currently teaching in Sydney but have also led classes in Glace Bay, North Sydney, and Eskasoni! E: susiemorrison@hotmail.com
Emily Budden
If you had of asked anyone who knew me whether or not I would choose a career in health care, the answer would have been a BIG fat NO! I was the young girl who ran at the sight of blood, and whose stomach twisted into a knot when I walked through the doors of a hospital.
Fast forward five years …
SURPRISE! I am presently enrolled in my fourth and final year of the Bachelor of Science Nursing Program here at Cape Breton University — and I am loving every single minute of it! I have discovered a new found passion and enthusiasm for the field of medicine, nursing, and health care; and I look forward to the exciting experiences and challenges that lie ahead! I am currently in a race to the finish line with my first ever research project titled Supporting Remote Health Care Provision in a Rapidly Changing Climate: A case study from Nunatsiavut, Labrador which highlights the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the ‘three Ps’ – provision, providers, and patients – including the amplification of the already-present challenges in remote health care and the creation of additional challenges related to shifts in climate and environment.Everyday that passes, I thank nursing for the people who have walked into my life; those who are only visiting and those who will be here for a lifetime. ♥ Feel free to contact me via email @ emily_budden44@hotmail.com
Mark Mackenzie
Hey everyone, I am Mark Mackenzie and pictured with me are some of my talented proofreaders and editors, Lily (the white and brown dog) and Chloe (the black and white dog) (not pictured are Casey the German Shepherd and Gingerbread the cat). I have some doubts about their ability to understand English and they always seem to be preoccupied with getting treats and napping…
I am a 21 year old male born and raised on Cape Breton Island in New Waterford. I am in my 4th and FINAL year of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Cape Breton University. Going to be an RN… doing RN stuff… somewhere… there are just a few *minor* details that need to be worked out but I am excited for every step of the way!
In this blog I hope to share with you things I am learning in this course and interesting tidbits I discover outside of the course, all relating to indigenous perspectives of health, wellness and healing and indigenous health and wellness in general. It is my hope that you, the reader, can take something away from the postings by the other writers and myself and that an interest in learning about the other people and cultures who live wherever you live is sparked. Feel free to comment on the posts! Need to get at me? Throw an email at mark_mackenzie9@hotmail.com
Catherine
My name is Catherine, (AKA Cathy), and I am also in my 4th and final year of nursing at Cape Breton University *shocker!!* I’m thrilled to be in my last year of nursing… it has been quite the journey the last four years. Needless to say, it is exciting to begin my career but it will be sad to say goodbye to all the amazing people I have met along the way!
I love to explore, see new parts of Cape Breton Island, and adventure in my Jeep TJ. This crazy world we live in is amazingly complex and exhilarating, and I can not wait to start seeing more of it. In high school, I was both a band geek and an actress, and now, I’m sorting through all my insecurities and transforming into the person I was meant to be 🙂 Even though blogging is not my forte, I’m excited to be part of this! If anyone has any questions, send a line to catherinegale@hotmail.com
Kaleigh
I’m 23, originally from Hampton, New Brunswick, but have been here in Cape Breton for the last few years studying nursing. I love to be outdoors and have fallen in love with all the beauty Cape Breton has to offer. I plan on sticking around to begin my nursing career, hopefully working in a rural setting.
Nursing allows me the privilege of working closely with people in their time of need. This course has allowed me to grow as a person and a nurse, reminding me to focus on all of the aspects of a person’s life that are interrelated in their impact on health.
Other than nursing I occupy my time by listening to CBC radio, music, painting, and having some good laughs with good friends. Life sounds pretty darn good when you put it in writing eh? Fan mail can be sent to: kaleighbt@gmail.com
Athanasius
Interests include: PHOTOGRAPHY / COOKING / VIDEO GAMES / WORKING OUT/ THE INTERNET/ TECHNOLOGY/ SINGING IN THE SHOWER
I am a 21 year old Mi’kmaq, born and raised in a First nation reserve called Eskasoni which is the currently the largest Mi’kmaq community in world in terms of population.
I am currently in my fourth and final year of nursing at Cape Breton University. I hope to work in critical care when I graduate and eventually to work as a Nurse Practitioner in my own community 🙂 Everyday in this program is truly a blessing. I am grateful for the friends I made throughout my years at CBU and also people whom I have crossed paths with over the duration of my life. I truly enjoy every aspect of this class; and also I am eager to teach people about me, as long as they teach me about them. I unfortunately do not respond to smoke signals anymore due to pollution, but if you have any questions you can send me an email at: a.sylliboy@gmail.com or send me a tweet
*yes this native is with the times..*
Kendra
My name is Kendra. Like many of my fellow bloggers, I am currently in my 4th and final year of nursing at Cape Breton University. If you are wondering where I’m going to work after I graduate, I am too- so join the club. I am very happy I have chosen the educational path that I have and although I’m not so much looking forward to being some sort of adult with bills and responsibilities, I am looking forward to starting a career in this beautiful field.
This is my first time ever blogging so bear with me! When I compare myself to my peers, I am probably the most technologically challenged person I know. I live under a very large and comfortable rock. However, I hope to make up for my lack of tech-ability with an enthusiasm for sharing the wonderful knowledge I have gained in Indigenous health perspectives and the impact this may have on my healthcare practice. So far I have enjoyed every minute of my Indigenous Perspectives for Health and Healing class and only hope that I can present even a snapshot of how eye opening it has been through my future blogs! Stay tuned, and feel free to comment! If you would like to contact me you can reach me via email at kendra_maccuspic@hotmail.com
Lisa
Hey internet! I’m currently in my third year of the nursing program here at CBU. I originally became interested in pursuing nursing when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when I was just a kid in junior hi
gh. As time goes on I discover more fields that I initially didn’t expect to be interested in, so this program has been a real journey of self-discovery. If all goes as planned I will be graduating in 2016 (fingers crossed) and hopefully working where my passion relies which is in the mental health and addictions aspect within the community.
I love music, snowboarding, my friends, the outdoors and good times. My inter web presence mainly consists of squeezing irrelevant thoughts into 140 characters on twitter; so this blogging business is very new and a little out of my comfort zone, bear with me! Hope you enjoy some of the topics I chose to highlight within this course, as it is a very informative class that brought about difficult subjects which need to continue to be addressed and discussed. Happy to keep the conversation rollin’ and hope it encourages others to join in! lisamcrae7@hotmail.com
Margaret
My name is Margaret MacAulay. I am twenty two years of age. I am currently in my fourth year of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Cape Breton University. After years of taking care of my grandmother I had decided that my passion was nursing.
Through experiences in my professional studies and social life at CBU, I have been lucky enough to dip my feet into the cultural diversity aspect of nursing. Specifically in this class, I am grateful to have learned and discussed experiences and health care needs from indigenous perspectives. This is my first experience updating and maintaining a blog, so this truly is a journey for me, and I am sure some of the other bloggers as well. Thank you so much for your patience! Most importantly I identify myself as a twin. I am 6 minutes older than my sister, which is detrimental to note. Most of my interests and hobbies relate to spending time with my sister and enjoying the outdoors. Cooking, baking, crafting and spending time at the gym are also my personal therapies. I hope you are able to explore with us on our journey of learning into the indigenous world and exploring indigenous health perspectives! Thank you! Please feel free to message me at esmeevelyn92@gmail.com
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 