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CARING CONNECTIONS NURSES RELISH VISITS TO FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES PUBLIC-HEALTH NURSES PAM NORE (LEFT) ANDTRACY DAWKINS CONDUCT A HOMEVISIT IN BLOODVEIN FIRST NATION. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INTERLAKE-EASTERN REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.
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W hen First Nations communities across Manitoba began to experience growing numbers of COVID-19 cases during the virus’ second wave, local staff and other resources became over- extended. Public-health nurses were invited to join outbreak-response teams in several communities, and nurses from across the Interlake-Eastern Health Region didn’t hesitate to step forward. They wanted to help, and they brought valuable experience in dealing with COVID-19 to their temporary worksites. Nurses Pam Nore and Tracy Dawkins, who normally work in Selkirk, joined the fight against COVID-19 just before Christmas 2020, when they travelled to Bloodvein First Nation, 250 kilometres north of Winnipeg. “Both of us have always wanted to travel and practice nursing in other settings. This was an opportunity to do just that within our own province,” they said in a joint statement. The pair worked at the nursing station as part of the local outbreak response, and Bloodvein First Nation Chief Derek Cook is quick to acknowledge how much their work was appreciated. “During our outbreak, our team pulled together. The nurses along with the rapid- response team also did a great job, even though we were working under a lot of stress and around the clock, making sure that everyone was taken care of and families were safe. It was a struggle but we pulled together as a team,” Cook says. “Council and I extend a huge thank you to all nursing/clinical team members, health staff, band staff and all community members for the hard work and dedication to keep us safe from the spread of COVID-19.” Public-health nurse Carla Geddes, who usually works in Stonewall, also volunteered to lend her support. In February, she travelled 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg to work at Cross Lake First Nation. “I am very aware of the impacts this
For information contact: collyert@brandonu.ca or irwinl@brandonu.ca
PUBLIC-HEALTH NURSE MARLEEN JONKER IN PAUINGASSI FIRST NATION.
pandemic is having on people’s mental health. It worries me even more than COVID itself,” Geddes says. “When there is a delay in notification of a positive case or interventions, it drags out the entire wave, ultimately making lockdowns longer. So if I could help reduce that burden, I wanted to.” She has reflected on the trust Cross Lake residents showed as they welcomed help into their community — and in some cases followed public-health advice to leave their homes and family in order to isolate in Winnipeg. “I hope COVID will be looked back on as the magnifying glass to recognize all the counterparts that keep us holistically healthy,” Geddes says. Oakbank public-health nurses Christine Brooks and Marleen Jonker, along with Heather Boer — a public-health nurse working in the provincial virtual contact- tracing centre — participated in teams of nurses who worked in Garden Hill First Nation, supporting COVID case investigations. While they were far from home — Garden Hill is 610 kilometres north of Winnipeg — Brooks says they made connections quickly, an accomplishment she attributes largely to the experience public-
health nurses have in connecting with community. “We were there as a resource for residents to feel supported and connected and to reduce the stress that COVID had brought very quickly to a community of 5,000 people,” Brooks says. While Brooks supported efforts in Garden Hill on two occasions, Jonker’s pandemic support extended to two other First Nations communities. “I had never travelled in Manitoba’s North, and saw the experience as an opportunity to help fight COVID at the ground level while also expanding my learning and understanding of very unique and diverse communities,” Jonker says. Both Jonker and Boer feel fortunate their profession has provided these opportunities. “The reality of life in Manitoba’s North isn’t something you can find or truly understand from reading about it,” Boer says. “While my exposure and experience are limited to these trips, I would very much like to learn more.”
Submitted by the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority
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