The program is aptly named 鈥�Ashukin鈥�, a Naskapi word meaning 鈥渂ridge鈥�. 鈥淲e are creating a real, tangible connection between two communities, learning from and helping each other,鈥� - Francoise Filion. The program provides students with the opportunity to work with Indigenous populations in both Southern and Northern Quebec, in urban, rural and remote communities.
As part of the program, students perform a needs assessment in collaboration with community聽members, who actively take part in identifying their own needs. Based on the assessments, students develop聽a health promotion or primary prevention project to be shared with the community at large upon completion. This way, students get to exchange culture and knowledge with members of an Indigenous community, while learning clinical competencies ranging from聽public health,聽health promotion, health聽education to primary prevention, and the communities get to share their knowledge, and benefit from the students鈥� work.聽
The聽Ashukin聽program has a direct impact on students鈥� professional development, as well as on the Indigenous communities they will be serving. First, students are exposed to聽聽individuals聽who exhibit a variety of health needs,聽which promotes the development of their聽populationhealth聽and聽clinical skills in complex settings,聽and allows them to tailor specific health promotion and primary prevention聽interventions聽and programs,聽depending on the community鈥檚 needs. Second, the possibility of working with children, parents, educators and other health professionals in Indigenous communities will enhance not only students鈥� cultural聽competence and聽safety but also their聽public health competencies聽and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.聽
In the case of Indigenous communities located near Montreal, students are engaging in weekly visits. For more remote regions, students are dispatched to communities twice a semester. Regardless of distance, the experience will expose them to groups and聽individuals聽who exhibit a variety of health needs, helping students develop their assessment skills in complex settings.聽
In its first year, the聽Ashukin聽program聽enabled聽33聽students to work in聽five聽Indigenous communities, including聽three聽community organizations in Montreal:聽
Native Friendship Center聽
Projet聽Autochtone聽du Qu茅bec聽
Native Women鈥檚聽Shelter of Montreal聽
In addition, students were also placed in sites outside of Montreal, including Riverside Elder鈥檚聽Lodge,a聽rural community organization, in聽Kanehsat脿:ke, located聽one hour from Montreal,聽and聽Wemotaci,聽a聽northern聽rural聽Atikamekw community聽located聽聽six聽hours from Montreal. Feedback from students and Indigenous community representatives has been positive and encouraging for the projected聽future聽growth of聽the聽Ashukin聽program.聽聽聽
The first year of implementation of the聽Ashukin聽program was a success, both for the ISoN students involved, and the Indigenous communities who took part. Throughout this first year, we quickly became aware of certain gaps, which will need to be addressed聽to聽ensure the聽successful聽future of the program:聽
More students聽are needed in order to address the needs of聽Indigenous communities聽
Indigenous high schools聽need to be more involved聽where health needs are important聽
Master鈥檚 degree聽Nursing聽students聽would be a valuable addition to the program聽聽
Expand the cohort of students聽to include聽MSc(A) Nursing students聽
Increase the total number of student participants in the program to聽50聽
Collaborate with additional Indigenous communities, such as聽the Survival School in Kahnawake and Howards S Billing High School in聽Chateaguay聽聽
Develop聽Ashukin聽to act聽as a bridge into a new program with Nunavik, a remote fly-in community in the Far North, by creating聽a customized program for Inuit students to pursue a Nursing degree from 91社区,聽online. The hope is that this program could be delivered without requiring students to leave their remote communities. Thus, students from the South could offer great synergy in sharing collaborating, and mentoring students in the North.聽 This innovative dream has the potential to greatly improve the health of northern communities through the provision of competent, culturally safe care and ultimately improved health for all.聽
A long-term hope for a possible outcome of the program is for students to be paired with interested local youth and adults in these communities to create an ongoing mentorship program, with the ultimate goal of inspiring Indigenous community members to consider nursing as a career option. The goal is that new relationships forged by the program could help communities recruit future health professionals to work in their regions.聽
The Ashukin program is currently available for students in NURI 432, on hold for Fall 2021 NURI 431, and NURI 610. You can view the following documents for more information:
NURI 431聽
ashukin_student_application_431_general1.docx