Aboriginal curriculum promotes understanding

Laurentian University's School of Nursing will be developing an Aboriginal cultural safe curriculum manual for its nursing students.

As the only tri-cultural university in Canada, Laurentian was an obvious choice to join five other nursing schools across the country that were selected to develop and implement the competencies in the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (ANAC) Framework entitled: Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Nursing Education: A Framework for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nursing."

The implementation of these competencies aims to increase understanding, recognition and respect for First Nation, Métis and Inuit cultures among nursing students, resulting in increased recruitment, retention and a safer, healthier work environment for Aboriginal nurses and Aboriginal clients. 

The framework was the result of a partnership between ANAC, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), and the Canadian Nurses Association. It was funded by Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

Denise Newton-Mathur, a veteran nurse and Métis lecturer at Laurentian, is excited about the initiative and said the framework is the third prong of a multi-faceted project implemented by the Aboriginal Nursing Education Committee at the university's School of Nursing.

The first deliverable was a recruitment manual for Aboriginal nurses that included videos, a power-point presentation and pamphlets.

Students also gave presentations to secondary school students throughout the North.

Next came a teaching and learning manual for nursing faculty about cultural safety and competencies. Five modules focus on the history of Aboriginal people in Canada, anti-racism, communication styles, strengthening relationships in Aboriginal communities and improving pedagogy.

"Looking each other in the eyes while speaking is traditional Western cultural behaviour," Newton-Mathur said, providing an example of communication styles. "In the Aboriginal culture, it is aggressive behaviour. They look down because it is more respectful. As well, when they are looking down, they are focusing more on the auditory, on what is being said."

The objectives, explanations, mini quizzes and resources are laid out in a clear, concise format. Newton-Mathur said each faculty member received a hard copy of the manual. It was also distributed and posted on the school's website, increasing its accessibility. Other educators, preceptors or supervisors associated with the nursing program also have access to the manual.

The third stage of the project, the ANAC competencies framework, is geared toward nursing students as stated in its working title: Nursing Practice with Aboriginal Peoples - A Nursing Student's Guide to Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety.

Newton-Mathur said the school will probably follow a similar format within the faculty manual, covering six core competencies: post-colonial understanding, communication, inclusiveness, respect, indigenous knowledge, and mentoring and supporting students for success. An electronic version of the manual will be available to nursing students, nurse practitioners and others affiliated with the program by the spring of 2010.

Newton-Mathur said it will be up to the teachers to incorporate the manual in each of the four years of the program.

The schools implementing the framework will document their progress and publish the work for all other Canadian schools of nursing to utilize as templates in the coming years as CASN incorporates it into its accreditation standards. 


www.nursing.laurentian.ca
www.anac.on.ca