Season 1 of the Through My Eyes: Nursing Perspectives podcast features five episodes that tell the stories of nursing leaders across the province who have contributed to the profession in significant ways.

The podcast’s creators are participants in the President’s Student Leadership Program (PSLP), a unique-in-Canada, non-credit program that brings together post-secondary students to build their leadership potential. It’s the flagship program of the James W. Burns Leadership Institute at UM’s Asper School of Business.

The students decided on the nursing podcast for their PSLP leadership service project as a way to uplift both present and future health-care workers.

“The goal of this project is to really fill a need in the community,” said Guneet Uppal, a third-year bachelor of science student. “A lot of us had connections with nurses who were dealing with additional challenges [with COVID-19] on top of the regular ones. We were able to recognize that need by having some conversations with nurses.”

Viktor Popp, a sixth-year mechanical engineering student, said producing the podcast also allowed the group to avoid the COVID-related uncertainty of organizing in-person events. “By choosing the podcast, we knew we could achieve the deliverable that we set out,” Popp said. 

The five students in the PSLP group worked on the podcast in collaboration with the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba and the UM Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. The episodes range in length from 33 to 53 minutes. Each is hosted by a different member of the PSLP group and covers a different nursing-related theme, such as Indigenous nursing, professional growth and innovation in nursing. 

The podcast features prominent voices in the nursing profession in Manitoba, such as Melanie MacKinnon, executive director of Ongomiizwin – Health Services at UM, Dr. Donna Martin, associate dean of the College of Nursing, and Cindy Fehr, CEO of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba. 

(from left) Sasha Kullman, Viktor Popp, Meycee Kalaw-Crevier, Alixa Lacerna and Guneet Uppal

“What we wanted was to create a podcast that would support and uplift Manitoba nurses, but I think something really wonderful that it displays is the diversity within the nursing profession,” said Sasha Kullman, a fifth-year kinesiology and recreation management student.

“There are many different routes that you can take as a nurse. It’s not just a nurse working in a hospital, which is what a lot of people think when they think of nurses. You can make real, impactful change in the health-care field as a nurse. You can be a leader in health care and highlighting the vastness of the nursing field was something that’s really valuable that came out of the podcast.”

The PSLP group that created the podcast also included Meycee Kalaw-Crevier, a master of business administration student, and Alixa Lacerna, a master of architecture student. Although the PLSP students have completed their project, the podcast was produced with the potential of future seasons in mind.

“There was a really a big emphasis on planning the project in a way that it can be scalable and sustainable in the long term. This is something that can be replicated. We have developed all the documentation and tools to pass that along,” said Kullman.

The podcast’s third episode, Silver Linings & Comic Relief: Moments of Hope and A-ha!, was released on Nov. 9 and features Dr. Genevieve Thompson, an associate professor in the College of Nursing.

The Through My Eyes: Nursing Perspectives podcast can be streamed on Soundcloud. A new episode has been released every two weeks since the first episode went live on Oct. 13.

Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and re-emerging viruses and assistant professor, medical microbiology & infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Melanie MacKinnon, executive director, Ongomiizwin- Health Services, and head, Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, are each recipients of the Campbell Outreach Award for 2020.

The Campbell Outreach Award is given to University of Manitoba faculty who have displayed a strong commitment to outreach and the betterment of their local and extended communities through their academic positions.

Kindrachuk has been a voice of sound scientific reason for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic during his countless media interviews. “It is critical that media can reach out to articulate and informed experts and Dr. Kindrachuk has done an outstanding job keeping the public informed about the science of COVID-19 infection, therapies and vaccinations,” said Dr. Keith Fowke, head of medical microbiology & infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, in his letter of nomination.

“He has shared his expert virology knowledge with many local, national and international organizations and provided valuable service by helping them make informed decisions in this very uncertain time.”

Kindrachuk considers his involvement in community outreach one of the most rewarding experiences in his career, which makes this Campbell Outreach Award very special to him. “To be recognized for that work at a time when so many of my peers and colleagues have been doing such an outstanding job in this same arena is frankly very overwhelming. I certainly share this award with all of those across the university who have put in countless hours trying to provide context during such a complex public health crisis.

“For me, community outreach is a privilege. It’s part of my social contract as a scientist and researcher to give back to the community that has supported me throughout my career by providing expertise and insight when it’s needed most. My father has reminded me throughout my life to never forget where I came from regardless of where I may end up. I have always taken those words to heart and they have certainly resonated countless times over these past 18 months,” said Kindrachuk.

MacKinnon has been instrumental in the development and implementation of Rapid Response Teams for Indigenous communities battling the spread of COVID-19. “She has a commitment to strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities, which has resulted, over the years, in increasing access, as well as extending the nature of range of existing programs, of Ongomiizwin. More Indigenous communities have access to Ongomiizwin – Health Services because of Ms. MacKinnon’s outreach efforts,” said Dr. Brian Postl, dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and vice-provost (health sciences).

MacKinnon says she is always focused on the communities she serves, whether it involves direct patient care or advocating for systematic change. “Building upon existing relationships and being mentored by perhaps some of the first academic clinicians doing community outreach work has positioned the university to be ready to respond and play a greater role to serve Indigenous communities first when usually they’ve been considered last,” said MacKinnon.

“I’m very fortunate to have the trust and support of my peers and partners in doing this work. There are hundreds of colleagues standing beside me and our teams taking a vision and making it reality. I would like to express my appreciation to the nomination and selection committee for recognizing First Nation leadership.”

And that self-determination in health care, they said, is the way of the future.

Ongomiizwin – Health Services is a branch of Ongomiizwin, the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. Formerly known as the university’s northern medical unit, it has served communities in northern Manitoba and Nunavut since 1969. It has played a key role in supporting the Indigenous response to the pandemic.

“We’ve been doing outreach medicine for half a century, and doing that work has created tremendous relationships with our communities in Manitoba and Nunavut,” said Melanie MacKinnon, a Cree nurse who is head of Ongomiizwin and executive director of its health services branch.

“Our core business is building and maintaining relationships. And that work has prepared us to support our population to get through this pandemic.” 

MacKinnon and Dr. Marcia Anderson, vice-dean, Indigenous health of the Rady Faculty, jointly gave the virtual keynote address at the 11th annual Teacher Recognition and Manitoba Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) Awards presentation on Feb. 24. About 150 students, teachers, faculty and deans from the Max Rady College of Medicine attended via Zoom.

Ongomiizwin – Health Services has coordinated the Rapid Response health-care teams that have been deployed more than 50 times to communities by the Manitoba First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team (MFNPRCT), a partnership between four First Nations organizations. Each team works in support of the local health workforce and with community leaders.   

Anderson, a Cree-Anishinaabe physician who is executive director of Indigenous academic affairs for Ongomiizwin, is the public health lead for MFNPRCT. She outlined several ways in which First Nations people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, noting the importance of data that has been collected by First Nations experts.

There is a misconception, she said, that reserves are the main place where First Nations people are at risk for the disease.  

“Of the 9,689 cases that First Nations people had experienced as of last Friday (Feb. 19), 4,386 were on-reserve and 5,303 were off-reserve,” Anderson said. “Our relatives who live off-reserve in urban centres … are at at least the same risk for COVID-19 because the impacts of racism and colonization don’t stop at those reserve boundaries.”

First Nations people experience severe outcomes from the disease at younger ages than other Manitobans, Anderson said. “The median age at hospitalization [of First Nations people] is 51 and the median age of death is 66, which is a full 17 years lower than it is for the general population.”

MacKinnon has led the design and oversight of the Rapid Response teams. Although greater Indigenous control and self-determination in health care have been discussed in theory for decades, she said, it took COVID-19 to propel the idea into made-in-Manitoba reality.

“The pandemic of the century forced us all to act, and to take those conceptual plans and actually implement solutions,” she said. “First Nations are truly leading system reform.”

Anderson agreed, describing the collaborative COVID-19 response as “transformative work in real time” and “a great example of what working in the spirit of reconciliation means.”

Prior to Anderson and MacKinnon’s remarks, the Teacher Recognition Awards were presented virtually. The awards, voted on by medical students, honour teaching excellence in categories such as innovation, inspiration, mentorship, patient advocacy and small-group teaching.

Five medical students also received awards in the categories of citizenship, global health, community service, leadership and professionalism.

The list of teacher and student winners can be found on the MMSA website. 

Tackling COVID-19 in these communities poses unique challenges, as generations of social, cultural and economic inequities have created obstacles to good health. So when COVID-19 arrived in Canada earlier this year, it was clear something different needed to be done to avoid another health crisis.

Rapid Response Teams is a concept designed and led by the Manitoba First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team (a partnership between the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak, First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, and Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin). It is coordinated by the University of Manitoba’s Ongomiizwin Health Services.

These inter-disciplinary teams of up to seven people are chosen from a network of health-care professionals – including doctors, nurses, rehab specialists – that Ongomiizwin identified early on in the pandemic as being willing to respond to urgent needs in the community.

When the number of COVID-19 cases in a First Nations community exceeds or is anticipated to exceed what the local health workforce can manage, a rapid response team (RRT) is quickly deployed – often within 48 hours.

“They do so knowing they are putting themselves in to a riskier situation in service of our communities,” explains Melanie MacKinnon, Executive Director of Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing. “They are the first people to really get a sense of how serious the situation is, and being on the ground they have to identify and troubleshoot any challenges that are often not as apparent to those of us who support them from Winnipeg. This is a significant weight that they carry.”

Each team works in support of the local health workforce and with community leadership. In addition to supporting contact tracing, assistance with isolation planning, and communications, they also bring rapid point of care testing, set up testing sites, and schedule community members for testing which has helped contain clusters quickly.

Along with helping to deliver prompt, efficient care, the collaborative nature of RRT has also brought renewed confidence to First Nations communities.

“First Nations leadership for the RRT is critical because it capitalizes on the health expertise, systems and community contextual knowledge, and relationships that First Nations leaders bring. It engenders a level of trust that results in teams being able to hit the ground running and deliver excellent, culturally safe care,” says Dr. Marcia Anderson, Executive Director, Indigenous Academic Affairs at Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and Vice-Dean, Indigenous Health in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

She adds: “We have had really unprecedented collaborations in ensuring that we had this resource available to support communities. The National Microbiology Laboratory prioritized distribution of rapid point of care testing devices to remote First Nations communities, and the Public Health Agency of Canada has supplied field epidemiologists to assist us in assessing the larger outbreaks. We have had excellent support and collaboration with provincial Medical Officers of Health, Epidemiologists, and Regional Health Authorities. The way we have been able to leverage and access resources from others to support this First Nations led response is a blueprint for all First Nations health service delivery in the future.”

At publication time, 12 RRT have been deployed to communities as cases continue to rise. While First Nations people comprise 10.5 per cent of Manitoba’s population, they currently represent 19 per cent of active COVID-19 cases and 13 per cent of all deaths from the disease in the province.

Today we celebrate Indigenous nurses and nursing students in Manitoba on Indigenous Nurses Day, part of the National Nursing Week.  This year’s theme is “Nurses: A voice to lead – Nursing the world to health.” Currently we have over 80 Indigenous nursing students enrolled in the College of Nursing, a great harbinger for Indigenous health professionals delivering care to Indigenous communities and beyond.

This year’s Nursing Week theme is fitting as health-care professionals have all come together to work collaboratively to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and nurses have been on the front-lines of patient care and safety in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and community.

On this day, we want to acknowledge the long history and many contributions of Indigenous nurses – many of whom are the cornerstone of primary care in Indigenous communities across Manitoba and the North.

Indigenous nurses working with Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and partner communities and tribal councils have been dedicated to keeping their clients and communities safe and prepared for any potential COVID-19 outbreak.

Indigenous College of Nursing students, recent graduates, nursing staff (dialysis, retinal screening, foot care, nurse practitioners and nurse leaders) contribute daily to improving the health status of Indigenous Peoples by providing timely and quality health services to the partner communities served by Ongomiizwin.

As the Province’s proclamation of Indigenous Nursing Day states, in part: “Indigenous nurses are navigators, leaders and partners with individuals, colleagues, families and communities in providing guidance in health promotion and illness prevention; and Indigenous nurses are dedicated to providing safe, culturally competent and ethical care to patients and their families.”

We want to recognize Melanie MacKinnon, head of Ongomiizwin, and to recognize the Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative (ANCI) under the leadership of College of Nursing dean Dr. Netha Dyck, and all of their teams who support these programs and the success of Indigenous learners and nurses.

We are very grateful to you for making our learning and work environments a culturally-safe space for Indigenous students and health professionals and for delivering high-quality care on a daily basis to all Manitobans.

Thank you Indigenous nurses and nursing students for all of your vital contributions!