Community-based research: Building on strengths in the North Island
By Emma Hannah
During the March HSD Research Conversation, Dr. Joan MacNeil and Dr. Karen MacKinnon spoke about “Community-Based Research: Building on Strengths in the North Island, School of Nursing.” Assistant Professor MacNeil enthusiastically shared her experiences in the HINI clinic in the Aboriginal community of Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw, located just north of Port Hardy, BC. MacNeil described how she and Dr. Karen MacKinnon, in Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw for the day, stumbled upon the clinic and, unexpectedly, spent their day volunteering. MacNeil recalled the 6 hour shift as an “eye-opening and amazing experience” and proved pivotal in
developing their research.
MacKinnon was impressed with the overall level of care, noting that in addition to immunizations, fresh food and soup were offered to all clients and staff. MacNeil spent the day welcoming and screening an estimated “few hundred” immunization participants. The nurses worked without a break as waves of elderly people came in the early afternoon, followed by mothers with small children, and then school children who asked if they could bring their parents back to the clinic when they got off work. This progression demonstrated that a large majority of the community was actively engaged with their own health care and also illustrated how people living in rural communities care about the people living in their communities. This fits well with MacNeil and MacKinnon’s belief in the philosophy of “building on strengths.”
Strengths-focused practice and research are centered on the belief that people are the best experts in looking after their own health. Such approaches create
nurturing, collaborative, supportive environments and partnerships, as well incorporate non-Eurocentric healthcare practices. The use of these “alternative”
approaches, including storytelling, is compatible with Aboriginal ways of knowing and builds on the term “Nanwa’kola,” meaning to share together as a team. This is particularly important in the North Island where many of the communities are largely Aboriginal.
Committed to community-based research, MacNeil and MacKinnon are collaborating with the North Island Research Team (NIRT) made up of public health nurses, community service providers, and one Aboriginal community member, located in the communities of Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Sointula, Malcolm Island and Alert Bay. The team is working to assess the health issues that most affect women and families on the North Island, many of which are the result of socio-economic factors including poverty and lack of employment. Their initial focus is on highlighting the creativity and successes of existing women’s health initiatives. They are evaluating Women’s Health and Wellness Fairs in 10 communities throughout the North Island. The fairs are a local initiative to address concerns about women’s access to sexual and reproductive health support. At the fairs, nurses, NP’s and two complementary health care practitioners provide health related services, including Pap smears, STI testing, IP Violence screening, family planning and referrals to primary care providers and other community programs. MacKinnon and McNeil are assessing the outcome of the fairs, using the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Program Evaluation Toolkit.
From 2011 Spring Communiqué
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