Canadian Network for Innovation in Education

To address the identified shortage of registered nurses and their high rate of turnover in First Nations communities, a clinical nursing education practice hub was established at the Conayt Friendship Centre in Merritt, BC, in 2011. The intention of this partnership was twofold: to strengthen friendship and cooperation between Aboriginal peoples and the faculty/students of TRU School of Nursing, and to provide culturally relevant education to BScN students who would then promote the health of Aboriginal people.

The intended audience for this presentation includes post-secondary educators and community-based researchers interested in Aboriginal contexts. This presentation might also be of value to K-12 teachers, particularly those associated with First Nations communities. The ‘Kәnkneyt’ presentation will focus on the:

• History of the Conayt Nursing Education Hub
• Enactment of the Conayt curriculum: Development of resources for an immersion clinical experience
• Movement forward: Present-day and future plans
  
  

Learning outcomes include an increased understanding by presentation participants regarding:

• The theoretical basis for practice in the Conayt/Nicola Valley centres and where this knowledge was accessed
• How the locations of clinical placements contributed to student learning and the health of the communities in which they were located
• The rewards and challenges of this immersion experience for BScN Student in rural Aboriginal nursing practice