HS 4995F: Health Studies Practicum
NATIVE WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
ISABELLE CHOON-KON-YUNE Marisa Blake and Tya Marchand
Dr. Mac Ross and Lisa Metselaar December 8th, 2021
MY PRACTICUM NITY R E T A M S U INDIGENO RCLES SHARING CI
Aim to create Indigenous Maternity Experiences Survey (IMES) that is more culturally and contextually relevant than the previously published 2009 MES Through Indigenous participatory and community-based methodologies Engage Indigenous peoples, communities, healthcare providers and leadership in conversation
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My Practicum
THE JOB
Roles, Responsibilities, Tasks Conduct qualitative systematic analysis using MaxQDA Software Create new codes for 6 pretranscribed sessions regarding: Prenatal Care Birth and Delivery Postnatal Care Parenting Creation of codes that contextualize experiences that contribute to maternal-child health disparities and associated inequities Weekly meetings to update supervisors on transcript coding progress and discuss concerns
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My Practicum
THE PLACE
Physical, Cultural, Social
A National Indigenous Organization representing the political voice of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada Collective goal to preserve Indigenous culture and advance the well-being of all Indigenous communities My practicum placement was entirely remote, collaborating with colleagues based in Calgary
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My Practicum
THE PEOPLE Dr. Jennifer Leason Principal Investigator
Marisa Blake Research Coordinator & Supervisor
Tya Marchand Research Student
Isabelle Choon Practicum Placement Student
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Reflection
MYSELF Expectations, Thoughts, FEars, Skills
Having previous experience with quantitative research, I was looking forward to being challenged and learning about qualitative research processes I feared that my practicum would fall through due to repeated changes in supervisor assignment With time moving so fast, I worried that my work did not reflect the amount of time or effort I devoted to completing my tasks
I was confident that I possessed the necessary skills (ie. good communication, organization, time management, integrity, commitment) to excel in this role
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Reflection
PERSONAL GROWTH How this Experience Changed/Developed Me
Realized how fortunate and privileged I am to have easy access to health resources Further motivated me to want to become a physician who protects and advocates for marginalized populations Fortunate to have the means necessary to develop my healthy literacy
This experience inspired me to want to become a better ally for Indigenous women and their communities Empathized with many of their experiences
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Reflection
THE LEARNING
The UnExpected, Challenges, Surprises I was excited to learn more about and develop a greater understanding of Indigenous culture and their history I had anticipated hosting the Sharing Circles while communicating with Indigenous community members
I surprisingly found myself applying HS course concepts to create robust codes These Sharing Circles explicitly divulged experiences Indigenous mothers faced within the Western healthcare system and it was heart-breaking to read about certain personal confessions
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Reflection
THE LEARNING
The UnExpected, Challenges, Surprises I was challenged and given a lot of
responsibility, freedom, and trust to create codes with any supervision I was consistently supported in achieving my goals and encouraged to ask questions I really enjoyed being able to learn about Indigenous experiences through stories I was able to further develop transferable skills such as intellectual empathy, mindfulness, problem solving, critical thinking I did not realize how much trauma and adversity these communities continue to face within our healthcare system
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Reflection
MY IMPACT My work this semester has contributed to the development and future publication of a Maternal Health Report that will: Identify needs, gaps, barriers, priorities, and strengths related to Indigenous maternal health and child health wellness Act a resource for Indigenous communities to educate their female population on pregnancy and wellness Call to action the government to invest more resources and implement these resolutions to our healthcare system Educate current healthcare professionals about trauma informed care and Indigenous health models
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Reflection
THE FUTURE
Influence on My Present & future
Has impacted my life and inspired me to reflect on my current morals and values
I want to continue to stay educated on these issues and hopefully continue working with this organization
Has provoked questions for my aspirations in the future and has made me reconsider the person I want to be/become
An experience that has changed my perspective about our highly admired healthcare system
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NATIVE WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF CANADA Mission Advocate for and inspire women and families of many Indigenous nations
Vision An inclusive world that understands and respects the diversity and uniqueness of all Indigenous women and families
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