Welcome to Lac du Flambeau Nursing Perspectives! Our blog is tailored for Indiana University-Purdue University (IPFW) Nursing and Photography Students and Faculty who are visiting the Lac du Flambeau Reservation Fall Semester 2014.
The perspectives we share are based upon our community assessment and engagement with the community. We are a team of Undergraduate and Graduate Faculty, Graduate and Undergraduate Nursing Students and Photographers.
Our domestic intercultural immersion is designed to help us learn more about Native American culture as well as to work and practice side by side with practicing professionals at Lac du Flambeau. This experience is supported by IPFW Nursing and Tribal members at Lac du Flambeau.
This blog will serve the entire group. We will all post our thoughts, reflections, and share our images here. I am looking forward to seeing what we come up with!
ReplyDeleteThe first day on the reservation was so full of information. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the wellness center and dental clinic were new and in great shape. Community nurses that worked for the wellness center discussed the prevalence of drug use, which could be a focus for some teaching needs. They also discussed their roles in diabetes education and involvement in WIC, as well as other programs and duties. After touring the wellness center, it was interesting to see the casino as a center of the city, surrounded by a variety of other resources. We walked around to find a police and fire station, a library, a family resource center, the community center which housed the council. We briefly talked with a person about how they were swearing in new council members. From what we saw, I feel that a great deal of money was invested in community improvement. There are a multitude of resources available for healthcare and places where food can be purchased, like a grocery store and gas station near the casino.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I feel that money has been invested appropriately to address the needs of this community. I think that the biggest struggle is going to be getting the Native Americans to buy into the care. There are so many resources at their fingertips and it becomes a matter of compliance by the community and utilization of these things.
Monday 10/13/14
ReplyDeleteToday was a great experience! I learned so much about how the Lac de Flambeau community is organized.I started out my day with observing a women and children's nurse that specialized in lactation. The patient we were suppose to see did not show up to her appointment. The patient tested positive for a urine pregnancy test and the nurse wanted to follow up with a blood test to confirm. The nurse called ahead of time; however, the phone number listed was the patient's brother's phone. Therefore, the nurse did not want to leave a voice mail in order to keep confidentiality with such delicate healthcare news. The epidemiologist, Issac Brokenleg, did a wonderful job at breaking down systems and breaking down biases. He reiterated the importance of approaching nursing from a non-bias standpoint. The nurse was so helpful in explaining the importance of home visits. She shared a story of how it is a priority for community health nurses to decrease the amount of co sleeping. Unfortunately, this does exist. The nurse's advice was to make co sleeping less dangerous. When she went into a patient's home the parents and baby were sharing a twin bed. This example shows the value of education. The patients were educated and got the baby in a bassinet. There are several healthcare facilities to access for members such as the Health Care Clinic, Peter Christensen Dental Clinic, religious faith based churches,and mental health care clinics for youths. The overall impression of the community was that there is a need for community health nurses to help promote the existing programs and help keep patient's compliant!
Katlyn Connors
I have personally always been fascinated by Native Americans and Native American culture. This trip is a great opportunity because I will have the chance to experience Native American culture first hand, help serve this community, and understand new thoughts and viewpoints of Native American people that I have never been exposed to before.
ReplyDeleteI thought our first day today went very well. Although we traveled in a large pack and were occasionally a bit more energetic or excited than we maybe should have been, we were well received by almost everyone in the community. We were able to have a few very intriguing conversations with several tribe and community members. I loved touring the reservation in the few hours that we had to walk around; there seemed to be some excellent community resources as well as some room for improvement.
My group is assigned the Elders as our population; viewing the center for healthy living and the many elders that gather there and eat together offers my group many opportunities to teach, talk to, and observe this population. Although every age group in this community has problems that may be addressed by the teaching projects of our class, the large population of elders that gather present a very convenient audience for us. I look forward to getting to know some of the elders better as we spend more time around the clinic and center this week.
My favorite part of the day was learning from the presentation by Isaiah Brokenleg. I am so fascinated by the Native American view on "not-heterosexual" people and the very important role that these individuals have in their community and tribe. Isaiah was such a confident, professional presenter and I thought the information he presented was not only a necessity in order for us to be able to competently care for the Native American population this week, but also key to understanding why this population may be intimidated or distrusting of uniforms. What an exceptional individual!
As the week continues, I look forward to continuing to teach, assess, and help this community improve. It is a blessing to be here and I am very proud to (almost) be a nurse.
yoday was our frst day on the reservation. We began our day at the community health clinic. I went with a dietician who works with diabetes patients. l was surprised to find out that over 400 people are currently being seen to treat their diabetes. Many of them including the patent I saw were noncompliant with their diabetes management. After that we watched a presentation that introduced us into the history and culture of Lac du Flambeau. We ate lunch at the casino and then went on a walk around the town to gain a community assessment. I was able to see a community food bank where anyone could pay $20 and get a laundry basket full of fresh foods and packaged products. We then toured the dental clinic that was pretty new and very nice. l feel that l got a pretty good visual welcome of the reservation. l am very excited about tomorrow and the next few days.
ReplyDeleteThis is our first day on the reservation. The community center, healthcare clinic, and dental clinic are all very nice facilities and offer many resources to the people on the reservation and also in the surrounding communities. I got a chance to talk to the one of the planners for the reservation and he shared some of their future projects. One of them included making a new subdivision which seemed like a needed feature on the reservation. The other project plan was a field house next to the public school which would include a pool. This would be a great feature for the reservation so the youth will have a place to go after school and have activities and sports. Preventative measures are really important on the reservation and also in the community because any MI or stroke needs to be flown out which delays the process in treatment. If the community can keep the MI and stroke rates down this will help with keeping costs low because of those transfers. There seems to be good programs set in place already but maybe not used as much as they could be.
ReplyDeleteSylvia Tippmann
Today was the first time that we were introduced to the Lac du Flambeau reservation. The morning started with a talk from Issah Brokenleg who gave us a very informative and yet engaging talk on the history of Native Americans. After lunch we were on our own to explore. One of the places that I went into was the Family Resource Center. It is a facility that works with the community in the areas of mental health, alcohol and drug abuse. Their mission is to provide supportive services to strengthen families. They accomplish this through encouraging wellness that is rooted in the culture, holistic and strength based. After that we walked over to the community resource center and that is where tribal counsel meets. It was there that I learned how just because a child is born on the reservation does not automatically mean that they are accepted as a tribe member. In order to become a tribe member the child must have a blood line of at least one forth Chippewa blood. We then were able to talk with a gentleman who was explaining some of the projects that are in the works for the future. One of them was to build a new addition of houses, add a fieldhouse complete with a swimming pool next to the school and to rebuild the bowl that is used for ceremonial events. The final place that we toured was the Peter Christensen Dental Clinic. When I entered this facility I was amazed at the beautiful murals that adorned the ceiling. I believe that each one had a different story to tell and would loved to have found our what each story was. This facility was top of the line in technology and catered to the comfort of the clients that came there for their dental needs. Not only were the dental chairs massage chairs but each room also had a flat screen TV just for the client. I found reservation exceeded my perceptions of what life here would entail and I look forward to another day of exploring and learning about another culture.
ReplyDeleteOctober 13, 2014 at 3:58 PM
Today was the first day on the reservation and was full of information! We started off the morning seeing the clinic and healthcare center, both of which offered SO many wonderful heath services to this community and specifically the reservation. I thought it was very nice that the gym membership was open to all members of the community and that it was not just strictly for the tribe members. We then had a great, entertaining and informative powerpoint presentation by a epidemiologist tribe member and I really got a good feeling for the tribe and way of life for Native Americans. Walking around the entire reservation was fun and really gave you a bird's eye view of daily life for these tribe members. I really enjoyed to going to the town building where they hold Tribal Council meetings and the workers there were SO nice and willing to talk and gave us so much helpful information. All day I had been wondering how becoming a tribe member works and what that process is. I now know that when a child is born they are tested and must have 1/4 Native American blood to be considered a tribe member, and otherwise are just classified as a descendent. The dental clinic was one of the most gorgeous buildings I have ever been in, and the ceilings had stunning murals on each section of the ceiling. I am excited for tomorrow and to get to spend time with the Elders of the tribe as that is my assigned small group for the Community Needs Assessment. I hope to get to hear their life stories as I'm sure they have great stories to tell, and really see what we can do to help them from a healthcare point. Day one was a success, and I am ready for tomorrow!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience today was! We began our day with a tour of the amazing clinic and wellness center and an incredible presentation from a tribe member which truly gave us all a better understanding of the American Indian culture. I was then lucky enough to attend a session with the dietician at the wellness center, who also happens to help with diabetes education. The patient she saw was very compliant with the management of his diabetes and I truly believe it is because of the regular appointments that he attends with the educator and dietician. After lunch at the casino, we walked around the reservation as a group for about an hour and a half to get a better look at the community. We were fortunate enough to have the photography students with us to take amazing photographs along the way. We saw several residential areas, downtown Lac du Flambeau, the police station, fire station, a beautiful park/playground, several small businesses, the library, etc. We also went inside the grocery store and community center where we conversed with several members of the community. Although there is much lacking in this community, there are also many wonderful advantages. For example, they are in dire need of an urgent care facility and safer residential areas; however, their dental clinic was unlike anything I had every seen before. I now feel more prepared to begin the Community Needs Assessment with my group, which will focus more upon the older adult population.
ReplyDeleteToday was such a great experience at Lac Du Flambeau. Going into this experience I thought the reservation would appear very differently. I was very surprised to see the dental clinic and the community center in great condition. Honestly, the dental clinic design in the lobby was my favorite. It had such gorgeous art, and decor. The Native Americans on the reservation were very welcoming and informative. I learned so much about their culture, and I was very intrigued. During our time on the reservation today, all of us IPFW nursing students walked around the reservation and did a Windshield Survey on the community. Our next step is to do a community assessment. One interesting observation that was made by professor Mayor was in the Casino there was a small non-smoking section, which is completely opposite of Fort Wayne. I definitely feel like education needs to be done to promote smoking cessation. I noticed on the Reservation that a lot of citizens smoked, which leads to multiple health problems.
ReplyDeleteToday was a great day at Lac du Flambeau! It was nothing like I expected it to be—teepees, head dresses, tribal outfits…everything you would think of when you hear “Indian” is far from what the Lac du Flambeau Reservation turned out to be. I was amazed to see how beautiful and modernized the reservation really was. Not only did we come in the right season to see the beautiful fall colors of the leaves reflecting off the lakes, but also the reservation was way more developed than I expected. The clinic was a great place and the dental clinic was beyond beautiful! Throughout the day we were able to meet with several of the staff at the clinics and everyone was super friendly. After touring the clinic we were able to explore the community and speak to some of the residents. It was very interesting to see the different parts of the community. For example, the casino was very busy and majority of the visitors were elderly individuals. We also got to visit the community center and there was a poster that really caught my eye. It was advertising tobacco in both a positive and negative way. It was so interesting to me that they advertise it as a positive thing but it is because in their culture there are positive and helpful ways to use tobacco. However, it also made a point to show the negative aspects of tobacco such as cigarette use and the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. I can’t wait to learn more this week about the culture. There is so much to learn and explore, it should be a great adventure!
ReplyDeleteToday was the first day at the reservation. I am not trying to sound negative but I thought the reservation would be completely different. In my mind I thought that the reservation would be a little outdated. I have previously heard that Native American Reservations consist of trailers and ran down buildings but the Lac Du Flambeau was the complete opposite. The clinic and dentist office that we toured today were absolutely beautiful. The buildings were new within the past five years. The dentist office was made with beautiful wood detail in the whole building. The rest of the day we listened to a speaker that lectured about the Native American culture. It was very informative about prejudices and history of the Native Americans. After the lecture we walked around the town to evaluate their resources and all they have to offer. I’m looking forward to see what tomorrow brings!
ReplyDeletefitness facilities and how updated they were. The speaker we had in the morning was amazing. He was very captivating and you could tell he was passionate about what his work. After lunch, we headed out to walk around the community. We saw a lot of dogs, a couple of which were just loose or stray. The downtown area had some interesting resources for the tribe. There was a job resource center, cultural center, a library, and a museum. This area also had a beautiful, newer park that the children could make use of. At the end of our walk, we ran into a tribe official that works with planning projects for the community. He mentioned they would begin construction on a new subdivision and possibly a youth center fieldhouse in the next year.
ReplyDeleteCoffee in hand, we began on our early morning drive through the winding roads of Wisconsin to the Lac du Flambeau reservation. On the way I took in the scenery and tried to anticipate what the day would hold for us. Prior to leaving for the trip my grandmother, assuming that I would be sleeping in a tepee, expressed her concern that I would catch pneumonia and ruin my clothes by cleaning them on a washboard… Having little knowledge of the Native American culture I wasn’t really sure what I would see, but I was fairly certain that the reservation wouldn’t be as quite as traditional as my grammy expected it to be. The facilities, like the health and dental clinic, were extremely impressive and far more advanced than I thought they would be. We spent the first part of the morning talking with the nursing staff to get some general information of the services they provide. Later a well-verse epidemiologist, Isaiah “Shaniqua” Brokenleg, gave a phenomenal presentation to help us understand variations between traditional Native Americans practices and allopathic healthcare delivery, which emphasized just how important it is to consider culture when caring for patients that identify with specific populations. I’m excited to learn more about the 0-18 age group tomorrow so we can dive into the community assessment.
ReplyDeleteToday was very enlightening and thankfully now I can return home with the ability to paint a more accurate picture for my grandmother as to how a Native American reservation looks like today.
Today was another day full of information! I started off my day doing my first clinical assessment on the elder population. We went to the community building and spoke with a lady that is a tribe elder and also helps run the accounting business of the reservation. She was so helpful and informative. I learned that all employees of the reservation have full health insurance that includes dental. All the elders 62 and older have ALL their utilities, rent, mortgage, phone bills etc paid for if they are a member of the tribe. I really appreciate the aspect of this community and how much they really respect and take care of their elders. We then attended a lunch seminar that covered Diabetes Type 2 and Metronix Insulin Pumps. It was very educational and pertained to this reservation so much as one of the top health concerns is diabetes. It is unfortunate that the pumps are so expensive even with insurance. The museum on the reservation was small but full of history and scenes that depicted fire building, spear fishing and various daily activities of the early Native Americans. Overall it was another great day here at the reservation!
ReplyDeleteThis morning, several students were able to take part in hospice and home health while the rest of us went back to the wellness center and clinic on the Lac du Flambeau reservation. Several of us set up our teaching plan posters in the conference room in the clinic and persuaded some of the patients to stop in after their appointments to view the posters and to speak with us a little. Although we didn't see very many people, I truly felt that we made a HUGE impact on several of the patients we spoke with. One woman was very interested in smoking cessation and was absolutely shocked in regards to some of the statistics and facts that we shared with her. I felt that she was truly inspired.
ReplyDeleteAfter the teaching plans, we went to the elder dining room in the wellness center to survey some of the people eating lunch. The surveys used are to help the staff of the clinic with the community needs assessment.
It was then our turn to eat. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend an amazing educational experience from an employee from Medtronic regarding their insulin pumps. We learned all about how the pumps are the most effective way to manage both type I and type II diabetes.
We then went to the Ojibwe Museum on the reservation to learn more about the history and the culture surrounding Lac du Flambeau. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the tour of the Ojibwe village but I feel that I truly learned a significant amount from my attendance to the museum. Today was a busy and informative day. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us all!
Day 2- I was divided into a group that presented poster presentations. We had 3 people come and look at them in the few hour period, but I felt that those people were receptive to what we had to say. We then moved to the elder dining room in the wellness center and displayed our posters. I felt that they were not very interested in our topics. Many of the men were outward about smoking and that they didn't want to quit, regardless of our teaching projects. After this, we sat in on a presentation about insulin pumps. It was nice to hear somebody sharing ways to promote better care for diabetics, especially in this vulnerable population. I think the best part of the day was touring the Ojibwe Village, where I felt that I gained so much knowledge about the culture of the people we are serving here in Lac du Flambeau. I will use that knowledge while out in the community doing assessments as well as in opportunities I have during clinical practice. I'm hoping that later in the week we will encounter more people who are receptive to our teaching plans and we have continued opportunities to benefit this community.
ReplyDeleteToday was another adventure! My favorite part was being able to learn about the culture of the Native Americans. We were able to participate in a tour of an authentic Indian village. It was so interesting to see the way they lived. The tour guide showed us many of the tools and hand made products that were used by the indigenous people. The forest was rebuilt to replicate the wigwam villages, and the artifacts were authentic pieces made by the Natives. One thing I found really interesting was the way they used the trees to help leave directional markers and also to help trap animals. Another thing was the way they heated the floors of the wigwams using stones placed under the dirt. The fire heated the layer of stones and the warmth spread throughout the rocks in the floor. Also, by digging a hole in the ground they were able to store food throughout the winter. I never knew that a hole deep enough into the ground would stay the same mild temperature even through a harsh winter. They make things sound so simple! Seeing the process of how they have to make everything tells another story though. Nothing was simple and everything they made took time and patience. For example the moss had to be dried for over a year before it was used so that it was clean, the wood had to be soaked before it was flexible enough to work with, and the carving of tools, weapons, and canoes would take many laboring hours. It is amazing and fascinating to me to learn about how the Native Americans found natural resources for everything. I hope to learn more about the culture throughout the rest of the week!
ReplyDeleteThis was our second day at the reservation. Today started off kind of slow at the clinic again. Our group was separated into different groups depending on ages of the focused client assessment. My group is the 19-54 age group. So to begin the day, I started looking at different statistics for that age group and for any major health concerns. I then traveled with two other students to the community center where the tribal council meet to speak with Joyce, an enrollment officer. We were able to ask her questions related to the most pressing health issues that the reservation was seeing. We collected some very important data related to the community and returned to the clinic. At the clinic we started asking elders (ages 55+) about what health issues they believed to be most prominent and about their personal health care well-being. We attended a lunch & learn for a diabetes pump session. After that, we returned back to the hotel for a quick shopping break to the local stores downtown. We then went to Waswagoning, an Indian Village. I enjoy learning about historical facts, so I found it very interesting to learn about how the Ojibwe people have been around since the Vikings explored the country and how they migrated to harvest off the water to this location. I also found it very interesting that many modern day commodities that we use originated from the Ojibwe culture. The toboggan is a word that they coined for a sled. Also, that tepee means nothing in their tribe because they live in lodges. Tepees are homes for other American Indians. We ended the day eating yummy hamburgers and are currently preparing for tomorrow to continue with the community needs assessment.
ReplyDeleteToday is our second day working on the reservation. We presented some of our teaching projects. We didn't have that many people to talk to, but the people we did talk to were very receptive to our teaching projects and talked openly about what they struggle with like smoking, drinking, and eating healthy. We then went into the community center where the elders (55 and older) eat a free lunch to interview some of them about the community needs. The people I talked to all seemed to think that the biggest health issue in the community is alcohol and drugs with the younger people. The elders I talked to seemed very concerned about the issue, but they do not understand why it happens. What we also got to do today which was very interesting was go to the Indian village. A native lady walked us through the woods where they replicated how the Ojibwe used to live and what their normal day to day life was like. It was great to learn about all the culture of the people and also hear about what they believe the health concerns are for their community.
ReplyDeleteThe day started off at the Clinic on the Lac Du Flambeau reservation. On the reservation, I was able to observe and follow a dietician and nurse associated with Women Infant and Children (WIC). During my rotation, I observed that a lot of patients are non-compliant when it comes to keeping appointments. I observed from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M. and literally only 3 of the multiple patients showed up for appoints. Also, the nurse from WIC was explaining to me how drug abuse is a major problem in the area. All of this information will help me in my part of the community assessment. We students also got to walk around the Lac Du Flambeau Chippewa museum and cultural center, which was very interesting. There we saw many artifact and pictures that were found or taken on the reservation years ago. I was astonished on how crafty and artistic Native Americans are. Today, we also got to take a tour on the reservation of a mimic display of what life was like for Native Americans decades ago. It was so informative and interesting. I gained so much knowledge on the culture and how they lived in previous years. The tour was so scenic and relaxing. This part of the trip was my absolute favorite so far. I am just so fascinated about others cultures and ways of life.
ReplyDeleteToday was one of the most valuable learning experiences I have had since starting nursing school. I was able to participate in home health care with a nurse named Jodi today; this nurse was a travel nurse for four years and even after travel nursing had been around the nation. Her experience and professionalism were evident throughout every action, intervention, and conversation.
ReplyDeleteOur day consisted of much driving; it is incredible how little access to healthcare and healthcare resources the people of this area have. One patient that we visited lived a full twenty minutes off the beaten path and down a logging trail, this same patient had to wait over 45 minutes the day before for the ambulance to pick him up after he fell at home. Many other patients we visited had similar problems; to get a blood draw or pick up a simple medication there was at least a 40 minute drive. Many of our patients were elderly and isolated, and regardless of how great of neighbors they reportedly have, I have to question how safe it is for many older people to live far out in the woods with no quick access to anything.
I learned much from Jodi today, the most important of which was how to truly advocate and care for each patient. One patient was not very friendly and overall very negative; it turns out that he just needed some company. Another patient was having issues with her colostomy bag; for her new sleeping arrangements and help from a different care giver were the largest issues. The sweetest couple that we encountered all day required extensive medication teaching; the husband had actually disposed of some necessary medication in confusion and as a result the poor wife was very nauseated. Jodi explained that although patients and their families were very nice, it often took much time to gain their trust. In fact, gaining access in general to some families is difficult because many patients are unaware or too stubborn to accept health care that home health may offer.
Although Jodi and I worked on LDF with one family, we mostly worked with the community in general all day and I was able to truly get a glimpse at how people in this area live. I was so impressed with how many people love the woods and incorporate that love throughout their homes.
Apart from home health with Jodi, I loved the tour of the Ojibwe village. The presentations that coincided with the wigwams, canoes, arrowheads, lacrosse sticks, and other aspects of the tour were absolutely fascinating. Once again, another great day to be a nursing student on a nursing trip in WI.
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DeleteWell, today was another pretty great day in Wisconsin. I had the opportunity to be paired with a hospice nurse for most of the day. We cared for 3 patients at Seasons of life, which is an inpatient hospice care facility. The building consists of 8 beds filled with patients diagnosed with various diagnosis from Alzheimer’s to pulmonary hypertension. We went from room to room talking to the clients and the family members. The nurse assessed all the patients’ skin, vitals and so on. We also would ask the clients and their families if there was anything else we could do. There was one patient in particular that had me on the verge of tears. This older gentleman was actively dying and had been having lengthy periods of apnea. His wife was laying in his bead just looking into his face with so much love. The patient has not been fully awake for the past couple of days but I truly think that he knew she was there holding him. It really takes a special person to be a hospice nurse. On a happy note though, after leaving the hospice facility I met up with the rest of the group and we went on a tour of a replica of a Native American village. The whole place was breathtaking. This family had built many Native American homes and tools from the same materials used in the traditional indigenous culture. The tour guide was full of information and presented all of the culture and history with so much passion. Seeing all the detail and thinking that would go into making a home is crazy. I love hearing about the culture and seeing how things were done in the past. This has been the best part of the trip so far!
ReplyDeleteTuesday 10/14/14
ReplyDeleteToday I followed a home health care nurse. We visited three different homes. Two homes were on the reservation and one was in Minocqua. The first patient has a blood clot in her pic yesterday and we gave her vancomycin through her picc and cleaned her tube that drained her abscess. The second patient has a colostomy that we changed and we assessed her incision site. The third patient has a lung and heart condition that they are uncertain of as of now and we also did an assessment. We performed vitals and a head to toe assessment at every house. The home visits were good because I got to see the living style of the patients. All of the patients had supportive family members and lived with extended family. The homes had up to date technology such as internet; however, the houses were unkept. The second patient with the colostomy was informing us how she gained additional outside support through online private support groups for colon cancer patients. The houses did not have many neighbors and the houses were far back into the woods. I imagine it is easy to feel isolated and finding multiple ways of support is crucial. We also got to take a tour of the Indian Village. I thought the tour was filled with interesting history that gives a huge insight to the culture of this community. There are so many early traditional systems that families need to keep within their community to keep a healthy! The tour guide talked about a time when children were taken away and sent to boarding schools. Well, this takes away the language and culture which decreases the mental status of the children. Although, modern ways of living and practicing have extreme benefits it also is beneficial to keep traditional culture within the community!
Today started out by visiting the tribal center across from the casino. The lady there taught us a lot about different resources for the elders and youth. It seems like their culture really values and honors their elders. The youth are also very well supported and encouraged to follow their dreams, whatever they may be. Unfortunately much of the youth is troubled on the reservation. It was reported by several different people that youth drinking and drug use is probably the biggest concern on the reservation.
ReplyDeleteLater in the morning we went back to the health center to present our teaching posters to the elders at their lunch. Some people were receptive and interested in getting to know us and who we were, but some people were not as interested. I did not get to talk to anyone about my topic, but I did talk to three men in the sun room playing pool and had each of them complete our survey.
For lunch we attended a lunch and learn. The lunch and learn was very interesting and engaging. The lady presenting talked about an insulin pump and presented data on her product which helped better control patient's Hgb A1C within one month. She did a very good job answering any questions and incorporated cases into the presentation as examples.
The very best part of the day was going to the Indian village tour. It was so educational and explained how they lived in the 1700s. It was so interesting to learn about all the things they invented and the different things we use now that originated from them. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone.
The day started at the conference room in the clinic where a few of us displayed our teaching projects. I had the opportunity to demonstrate proper hand washing techniques with a couple who came in the room to see what was being offered. Attendance was extremely slow as most people who were approached about visiting our displays were too busy to take the time to come into the room. We did have a few adults who I feel gained some great and needed knowledge in the areas of quitting smoking, heart health, and diabetes. While there was an excellent presentation on suicide and there was our hand washing/Enterovirsus D68, the target audience was not the clientele who visited the conference area. Then it was off to the elder lunch room where Sylvia and I were able to complete a few of our surveys with those who had finished eating. I was able to speak at length to a gentleman who worked in the pharmacy at the clinic. He said that he would like to see some of the grant money spent on education. He then went on to explain how many of the residence of the reservation would be able to qualify for Medicaid and the benefits offered but due to the lack of education they do not apply. This is mainly because they are embarrassed that do not understand the forms and yet it would save the tribe considerable amounts of money. He is extremely passionate about this because he stated that the majority of the adults did not have education greater than a fifth grade level. Lunch was a time to learn about the Medtronic Insulin Pumps that are now available. While I found the product to be such a great assets for those who have trouble maintaining their diabetes, I wonder if it could somehow lead to non-compliance by always covering when you chose to eat badly. The next place we visited was the Ojibwe museum where we learned about the culture. One thing that I learned was about the importance of Eagle feathers and the significant that they have on the Native Americans. The final thing for the day was a guided tour of the Waswagoning Indian Village. It was like taking a look back into time and learning how the past has shaped our future. It was amazing to me to learn about all the things the Native Americans discovered/knew prior and yet did not receive credit for. An example of this would be how the roll bar that is on race cars was originally used on the papoose board for infants. I am excited to see what tomorrow brings.
ReplyDeleteAfter a more than filling waffle breakfast I grabbed my coffee (of course!) and embarked on the second day of our Wisconsin adventure. The schedule was jam packed with a ton of activities. The first half of the day most of us concentrated on gathering information pertinent to our assigned population for the community assessment. My group is focusing on the 0-18 age group and maternal health. Today the clinic had a WIC day, which is an income-based program that offers qualifying pregnant women, as well as parents of young children wellness education. Upon completion of the session participants receive a check that allows them to purchase certain foods essential to healthy development such as milk, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. A partner and I saw two clients with the dietician and were able to assess eating habits and educational need. We then shadowed the maternal-fetal health nurse and spoke with another client. During conversations with the staff three issues became apparent:
ReplyDelete1. Several appointment are cancelled by clients throughout the day for various reasons like lack of transportation, personal issues, child illnesses (two infants were even in the NICU)
2. Drug use during pregnancy is an all too common occurrence. This places mother and baby at a high-risk and several infants have to be discharged from the hospital on low doses of morphine or other narcotics to avoid withdrawal.
3. Childhood obesity or the risk of becoming obese later in life in 1 in 2 for the Native American population. This emphasizes the importance of programs such as WIC that provide early nutritional education and food availability, which will hopefully build a foundation for healthy habits carry on through adulthood.
During lunch we sat in on an in-service to educate clinic staff on the use of new insulin pump. Although it was interesting to see healthcare providers learning about an alternative method of diabetes management, my favorite part of the day was taking a tour of the Waswagoning Village. I learned so much about the traditional Ojibwe culture while taking in all of the beautiful forest scenery. It was an extremely beneficial experience and something I will definitely remember for a long time.
Today was our third day here in Wisconsin. I was able to shadow a hospice nurse, visit a historic boarding school, and interact with kids at the youth center. During my time with the community hospice nurse we made a home visit. It was very interesting to see how the nurse interacts with the patient in their own home. Tasks like doing vital signs, a physical assessment, and supplying medications were all done during our visit. We also got to visit the Hospice Home. This is where patients go to live during the last stages of life. The goal of nurses here is just to make the residents comfortable. Their symptoms are treated and their needs are met so that they are in a space of comfortable living. After my time working on hospice care we toured the historic boarding school. It was interesting to hear about the history of the building and the children that were kept there. The restorations of the building were also fascinating. Lastly, we got to visit the youth center and interact with younger children. We talked with them about health topics and some of the students even taught them about hand washing. Overall, it was another busy day. Tonight we work on our community assessment which we will present to the clinical staff tomorrow. Our goal for this project is to help the clinic become accredited.
ReplyDeleteToday was quite different than the previous two days. I spent much time on the reservation assisting in medication passes and teaching at the youth center. Although we traveled to many different homes to pass medications, only one client allowed me to come inside and interview them. This has a lot to do with the natural suspicion of people on the reservation and, honestly, I completely understand why they are hesitant to endure even a short survey. Although it was unfortunate that I could not finish more interviews and contact more patients, it was nice to be able to see more homes in Lac Du Flambeau.
ReplyDeleteAnother activity that was completed today was a tour of the clinic; I was extremely impressed by the resources in place. Now, the only step is for residents to actually take advantage of the resources offered. As we complete our community needs assessment, I hope to really make the needs of this community and the resources available to meet these needs more evident.
Today we did a lot of things. Early this morning we all went out to the community to do some community assessments. We asked several people a questionnaire to retrieve data for our own community assessment in which we have been working on during this trip. My group went to the casino, tribal center, smoke shop, local community college, and many other places around Lac Du Flambeau. After the assessment we had the opportunity to visit an old restored boys’ boarding school. Many young boys and girls were forced out of their home to be placed in these boarding schools. The purpose was to “Americanize” them and basically de-culture the young ones. Many children would try to escape from the building to return to their family. It was very traumatizing for many children. The renovation was a controversial topic due to the fact that it reminds some of awful reminders, for others it was an opportunity to restart and have a better future. Although the building because for some it really was a reminder of the terrible history, this building was beautiful. It was stripped to its original paint and then restored to similar colors. The building has not been opened to the public yet but they were kind enough to allow us to tour it anyway. The tour guide shared stories that she has revealed through research about the history of the building. It all is just an eye opener.
ReplyDeleteToday has been a long day. Jill and I began the day at the community clinic with a diabetes educator. We did not get to see any patients, however, we learned a lot about diabetes in the Native American culture. Afterwards, we received an official tour of the health clinic. We then went and taught our teaching projects at the tribal center. After that we went to an old boys boarding school that was being restored. It was one of the very few building left standing from that era. I found it very interesting that the Native Americans wanted to keep the building that held so many negative memories for so many. However, the tour guide explained how the building has served as other forms of history for the community. The building began with a negative history but is ending with a very important, and influential history. I enjoy learning about historical events so today was another very interesting day. Tonight we began compiling all of our data for the presentation tomorrow. It's been a long, but very interesting and finally a productive day.
ReplyDeleteDay 3- I began my day today by shadowing a home health nurse as she saw four patients. I learned a lot about the roles of a home health nurse. It requires a lot of driving and allows a lot of independence. I learned that it is still very important to adequately chart when providing patient care, even in the home setting. After this we presented at a youth center. The children were very receptive to the handwashing presentation, which is pertinent to their needs. Finally, we concluded our night by working on the community needs assessment. I felt that we worked together professionally and communicated well to develop a good presentation. I'm excited to share our findings tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThe day started with Mindi and I being dropped off at the Clinic to spend the morning with the diabetic educator. For the next few hours we were taught about diabetes mechanisms and medications. She also took the time to educate us in Native American culture. While the information regarding diabetes was excellent, what was lacking from our morning experience was client interaction. After lunch from the grocery store, we toured the clinic then it was off for more surveys. I went with some other students to gather information from the community. We were able to talk with residents in the parking lot of the grocery store, the fire department, the post office and the bank. The majority of my encounters were positive in nature, especially after explaining that our purpose for the survey. The whole group met at the old boarding school for another history lesson. The speaker was fascinating to listen to and extremely knowledgably about the boarding school. I loved how she explained that her main focus in restoring the boarding school is to utilize the building in positive ways thereby never forgetting the past but looking forward into the future. The final component of the day was by far the more fun, interacting with the children. One of the teaching projects was on handwashing and Katlyn was able to show how germs spread from one child to the next. They all enjoyed it so much and it was funny to see them go running to wash off the “germs”. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
ReplyDeleteToday started off with students and I going to Lac Du Flambeau to do our self-teaching projects. My project was on Enterovirus D68 and effective hand washing. The individuals who came in the room to view our poster boards were very interested in the topics all of us students presented. We had poster boards for the following topics: suicide prevention; heart health; effective hand washing; smoking cessation; and diabetes. All of this topics pertain to the Native American population. I feel like the self-teaching project went over well. Next, all of us students sat in on a presentation about how Native Americans are at high risk for diabetes. It was a very informative presentation. Our last big task for today was to present to the community nurses and a few more faculty on the community assessment we have been working on all week long. All of our hard work paid off because the community assessment turned out fantastic and I felt like the clinic pertinent information to help the clinic get accredited. This week on the Lac Du Flambeau reservation was a blast. I learned so much about their culture and way of life. I must say, Minocqua, Wisconsin is absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteToday was our last day on the reservation. A group of us started our day doing our teaching projects at the clinic. We did not get many people to attend, but the ones that did were very attentive and interested in what we had to say. I spoke to two different women about diabetes who recognized that it is a major health problem in the community.
ReplyDeleteAfter the teaching, the main focus of the day was presenting our findings of the community assessment to the staff of the Peter Christensen health center. They were super attentive and thankful for the work we started for them. We each had our part to speak on and it turned out very well. The rest of our day has been spent exploring the town of Minocqua where we are staying and shopping. This has been a great experience overall and I am so glad we got the opportunity to do this.
Today was our last day on the reservation, we had a great experience this week! Yesterday we went out to the community to finish up our surveys in the community. We went to the grocery store, school, casino, convenient stores, police station, etc. We got a lot of good responses and the community was very receptive in talking to us especially once we started talking to people, others wanted to talk also and make suggestions about the community. One of the biggest problems is the dug and alcohol use and chronic diseases such as diabetes. the community has many resources but it seems the utilization of these resources is limited. I have learned so much throughout this trip. There are health disparities throughout every community, and we have to be able to recognize them and also figure out how to effectively teach the community about them.
ReplyDeleteToday wrapped up our time here at the reservation! It was SO rewarding to be able to present the Community Needs Assessment to the staff and see how much they truly appreciated all of our help. I loved learning about the culture and history of the reservation and my favorite part of the trip was the tour of the old boys boarding school house. Wow what a story that house had to share! It was such a joy meeting so many wonderful people in this community and really trying to help develop a plan to better their lives. It was also educational to hear all about the history and why diabetes is so prevalent among the Native Americans. This was such a great cultural learning experience and can help me in my skills as a nurse in any community!
ReplyDeleteThursday 10/16/2014
ReplyDeleteToday was a fun filled way to tie the last ends up of our community assessment. We worked on the community's strengths, weaknesses, available resources, and gave great suggestions. The data gathered was over 68 surveys from community members. The presentation showcased our hard work and dedication as a group. Learning about the history in the morning from an hour long presentation was also a great add to the trip. I personally have never been to a reservation and getting the opportunity to really see the community from a strong health care perspective broadened my perspective!
During the long drive home, I was able to reflect upon my time at Lac du Flambeau. All in all, this was such an amazing experience. I truly felt that I made a difference whike on this mission trip. I know that we (as a team) made a huge impact on the community as we surveyed, interviewed, observed, assessed, and educated its members. Most of the residents of the reservation were very friendly and inviting as they recognized a need for various changes in their community whether it be battling drug and alcohol abuse or the provision of more health care facilities.
ReplyDeleteI also felt like our leadership skills were put to use since each of us was in charge of a different element of the mission trip such as teaching projects, drivihg arrangements, etc. Communication between one another as well as the facilities and professionals we worked with was essential during this trip due to many of the activities we participated in not necessarily being planned well-ahead of time. I felt that many of my skills as a nursing student grew drastically this week, well-preparing me for future community endeavors.
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ReplyDeleteToday was the first day we were able to see the reservation and learn about the American Indian culture. The presentation we were given at the clinic was very insightful and interesting. I learned great deal of new information. One thing that I found very interesting is what they consider traditional is not what we consider traditional. For example, like traditional health care to them is the use of spices, tobacco, and rituals. Were our traditional health care consist of seeing the doctor and taking medication for our symptoms. The way of life for the Native American culture is very different then our own. I really liked learning about their history and background. Today we also were able to view the clinic and participate in some different community health services. I enjoyed learning about what types of health services were most needed in the Lac Du Flambeau community. I was able to give flu vaccines and teach the employees new information on the flu and the vaccine. This was one for the many experiences I will be able to be part of on this trip. I am very excited to see what else I can experience and learn as we continue on with the rest of the trip.
ReplyDeleteToday was our first day on the Lac Du Flambeau reservation and it was a really good start to this experience. We spent the first three hours of the morning attending the orientation which involved not only introduction of the staff members and a tour of the facility but a history of the tribe and its culture. It was a very enlightening experience because the history of the tribe was new to me. What stood out the most to me was how the government's history affecting the tribe still has negative impact on the members of the tribe to this day. We discussed the history trauma and how that basically stripped away a lot of the culture and identity of the members of the tribe in the past. It left them in poverty-striven conditions and many other struggles related to health. Getting back to the tribe's healthy state has been a struggle and during the orientation it was mentioned that it took years to tear down the foundation of the tribe's culture and it will likely take just as long if not longer to repair it. That will stick with me for a long time. The Peter Christensen Health Clinic on the reservation impressed me. It is a very well-rounded clinic and provides not only basic medical care, but specialties such as diabetes management and podiatry. There is a laboratory, radiology department, pharmacy, and even an optical area for those needing prescription glasses or contacts. The atmosphere was welcoming and cozy. All of the staff were friendly, professional, and appeared happy that we were there. We split into groups for a portion of the afternoon. Some of us administered flu shots while others worked with the women's and prenatal health nurse. I met the certified diabetic educator RN and she shared a vast amount of knowledge on diabetes as it relates to the tribal community as well as general knowledge about new diabetic research. Overall it was a very rewarding first day!
ReplyDeleteToday was a pretty neat experience. We started our day at the Reservation Clinic. We had Isaiah as our speaker who spoke with us about the past and present day of Native Americans. Learning about what they have had to deal with (Land being taken, starving) and how cruel our government was for trying to remove Indians from the population of humanity. This was an eye opener. To this day they are going through great strengths to rebuild themselves.Being able to explore and learn about the clinic allowed me (us) to see the passion that those who work for this clinic and the community have to help the Native Americans get back on their feet and receive proper health care. The challenge is that they is very little trust in those who provide health care, they think that we are "experimenting" on them or trying to hurt them still. Creating a bond/relationship with these patients, or all patients in that manner is crucial in health care. Without this bond many will not continue to return and therefore will not receive healthcare. Later on in the afternoon, we split into groups, one group providing flu shots and teaching about Influenza, one group working with W omens/Pre-natal nurse about infant safe sleep. I and my partner went and talked with the Diabetic educator. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. Today was amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis is Megan Baral's First post.
DeleteToday’s orientation of the Lac du Flambeau health clinic and the reservation community was very eye opening for me. I had learned very little about American History as I am an international student, but I was made aware of many of the Native American movements by a great presentation from Isaiah. The presentation helped me identify some cultural differences as well as understand the tradition of the people in the reservation. I now have a better understanding of the Native’s struggles with western healthcare. After the presentation and a short break, I was given the opportunity to present our Influenza poster to the employees receiving vaccines. I also had the chance to administer some flu shots to the clinic employees. This was a great opportunity for me to refresh my IM injecting skills. Thereafter, I shadowed one of the local community nurses as she prepared medication boxes for a month’s supply for a local reservation member. The number of people that do not adhere to their medication astonished me at this experience. Even though the nurses specify which medication to take using a very simplified medication box system, many locals return the boxes with many incomplete doses. Overall, it was a great first day for me here in the reservation and I am really looking forward to the days to come!
ReplyDeleteToday was another good experience in the Lac Du Flambeau community. I was really excited that I had the chance to help one of the community nurses work on her grant for safe sleeping for infants. While here I have been able to learn how SIDS is becoming an issue in this community and ways they are working to prevent it. I was able to use the information and skills I have learned in class and apply it to the project. Other students and I were able to present our ideas and use them in the project. We were also able to visit the Lac Du Flambeau boarding school and learn about the history of the school. I learned about how the US government placed the Native American children in these schools to tried to strip them of their culture and traditions. Many of the children were not allowed to see their families and were not allowed to speak their native language or practice traditions. I really enjoyed viewing the school and learning all about it. It is great that the community restored the school to use as a memorial and symbol of survival and how far the community has come since then. I have been learning a lot on this trip and have been having a great time. I cannot believe that we have only one day left and am excited to see what else new I can still experience and learn tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to post the first night here so I'm going to talk about our first two days here at Lac du Flambeau. The first day we arrived was very exciting. We got to see the beauty of Lac du Flambeau and the people who reside there. After arriving at the clinic, I thought how nice it looked. We got a tour of the facilities which was impressive. They have services for general health, diabetes, women's health, optometry, community and public health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, and dentistry. We learned about the tribal members that live in Lac du Flambeau and Native Americans in general, which was eye opening. I was amazed that the community has a difficult time trusting western medicine and that it's been a struggle to treat many conditions because of this. However, I was more impressed in all of the obstacles the healthcare providers have overcame within the community to better serve their healthcare needs. We went to lunch at the casino and got to see where a lot of members and especially elderly people spend their time. My group gave teaching to the staff members about the flu because they were receiving flu vaccinations and also got the chance to give flu shots. Overall, it was a great day and I felt like I learned so much!
ReplyDeleteToday we started our day by heading to the clinic. I had the opportunity to work with Julie on education for expecting and new moms on safe sleep for newborns and babies to help reduce SIDS. That was so interesting because I learned that there is a difference between co-sleeping and bed-sharing. The community health nurse informed us about the high levels of bedsharing within the community. She recently got a grant for this education and I was honored to be a part of it. Afterwards, we went to lunch again at the casino and conducted an assessment of the occupational hazards there. For one, there is the smoking problem. Smoking is allowed inside and anyone who works there is subjected to second hand smoke on a daily basis. It's also very noisy in there. There is free soda available so the temptation is easily available. Also, I only saw one security officer who was on duty and he was of a much older age. I'm not sure what the crime rate is here but if anything violent happened it's hard to feel confident he would be able to provide safety to the employees and other people inside the casino.
The first two days of our trip here in Wisconsin have been amazing! Yesterday (Monday) we had our orientation at the clinic and at the Wellness Center. We were also able to hear the history of the Native Americans who live on the LDF reservation first hand from Isaiah Brokenleg. The information given to us was very helpful in starting to understand what the people of the tribe went through in the past; the information was very eye opening and moving. We were given a tour of both the clinic and Wellness Center. We were also able to break up into groups to learn about Diabetes on in the population, to help with flu shots, and to help with a Federal Grant for safe sleep practices. The group that I was in helped to form a questionnaire for mothers and fathers about safe sleep practices; this questionnaire will be used to help meet the requirements for the grant that the maternal health nurse is working to obtain.
ReplyDeleteToday was just as interesting as day one was. We again woke up and headed to the reservation after breakfast. We arrived at the clinic and broke up into our three groups again to help with the grant process, flu shots, and meet with the Diabetes educator. Today was my groups turn to meet with the Diabetes educator, which was an amazing opportunity. We were able to learn about what this job consisted of, how she helps the population, and some of the history about why Diabetes is so prevalent in the Native American population. It was very interesting to hear how the White population contributed to the high rate of Diabetes in Native American tribes. My group was also able to help again with the Safe Sleep Grant today. We helped to create a prenatal questionnaires about safe sleep practices, a post teaching evaluation, and a safe sleep facts sheet for mothers and fathers. Today we were also able to walk around the reservation for a short period of time. During this time we were able to take some pictures of the scenery, which was absolutely beautiful. We also were able to take a tour of an old boarding school, which was used by the White people when they took Indian children from their parents. It was very interesting to see the old pictures and hear all of the information from the tour guides. Overall, the past two days have been amazing and a once in a lifetime experience!
Yesterday and today were both very interesting days. yesterday we were oriented to the reservation by Isaiah Brokenleg. He was a lot of fun and engaged us in his presentation. His presentation covered different aspects of culture, and made us aware of our own personal biases as well as teaching us about the biases of the Indian Community. We were broken up into three different groups. One group administered flu shots, another group went with the Diabetes educator, and Ashley and I began to work on a project required for a grant. One of the nurses had to choose something to provide education for, and she chose safe sleep practices because the infant mortality rate is extremely high in their community. She asked us to come up with a questionnaire that addressed the major issues that individuals did not know about regarding safe sleep. We formulated a questionnaire with ten questions and included the rationales as well. We were instructed to pass the project on to the next group.
ReplyDeleteToday we were with the diabetes educator, but Ashley and I assisted Julie and Kristin with the questionnaire as well. We all came up with a prenatal questionnaire, an evaluation to see if the teaching would be effective, a post-education survey, and we started on a handout for the classes before Ashley and I joined Sherry in her office to talk about diabetes. She did have one patient scheduled but the patient canceled. She taught us so much about diabetes and how it affects the Indian community specifically. Afterwards we went to lunch and then toured what used to the boys' dormitories back when the boarding school was open. Touring the old dormitories really touched me. I was shocked at how easily individuals accepted stripping others of their culture. It made me sad that many of the children were taken from their parents at a young age and could not practice anything related to their Indian culture. They could not even keep their own names.
Overall, so far this trip has really been eye-opening and has taught me a lot not only about a different culture, but what the role of a community health nurse is. Making up the questionnaire and the working with Julie and Kristin on it today made me feel good that we knew that we were pretty much coming up with the program outline, and that the safe sleep classes would actually make a difference.
My second day here at the reservation has been as good if not better than the first day. We started our day at 0830hrs and went back to the clinic at the reservation. While my colleagues administered flu-shots, taught about diabetes, and created a survey to assess for unsafe bed sharing with infants and toddlers, I worked with a local nurse to promote fecal occult blood testing (FOBT). FOBT is a very simple test that clients may start at home at their own leisure. People of ages 50-75 are encouraged to collect fecal matter for the FOBT and send it to the local clinic laboratory for testing. The test detects bleeding in the gastrointestinal (GI) system that may be invisible to the naked eye. Although the FOBT does not provide a definitive diagnosis, a positive test provides reason to explore the GI in search of early or pre-cancerous progressions like polyps and diverticulitis. Early detection of these happenings can help healthcare providers to take measures and prevent many terminal colorectal cancer cases. Later in the day, we assessed a local casino where found noise and second hand smoke to be major hazards for the casino employees and guests. Furthermore, we found that the dealers stand for long periods which can contribute to back and foot problems. To conclude our day, we visited a historical boarding school where I learned more about the Native American history. I am really looking forward to the new experiences tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteToday we started our journey at the clinic. I and my partner Phylicia provided flu shots during walk-in hours. It was fun to be able to meet and interact with different individuals from the reservation. Everyone was so polite and willing to learn. There were different areas for individuals to go to, flu shot education and colon/rectal screening teaching We had the change to talk with Michaela who is an RN who lives and works on the reservation. She was brought to the reservation at the age of 9. She went into explanation on how many Native Americans do not feel they need to do much with their education status or work status do to some housing that is offered is free, therefore they do not need to pay much for anything, and then have declined motivation to do better with their futures. She was talking about how her children have the choice to go to college or they need to experience living and paying for things on their own, in which in turn she hopes that they create motivation and drive to do bigger and better things with their life as she has hers. She is great to sit down and talk to about Native American culture and their community health, living, and opportunities. After our teaching we were able to tour the boys boarding school. This was very neat to learn about and explore the home. This home has a lot of history and heartache for the community. Many from the community did not want it updated due to the hurt it has caused the Native Americans in the past. But, now many come to learn and explore themselves and see it as a place that they have gained strength from. Learning about this culture is absolutely amazing!
ReplyDeleteToday was our second day of the Minocqua/Lac Du Flambeau trip and I am still enjoying this experience just as much as the first day! We started our morning on the reservation after eating breakfast. We went back to the wellness center and spent most of our morning there. We separated into our groups for the teaching plan and went to either the flu shot area, the diabetes education area, or working on the grant process project for the women's and prenatal nurse. Since we met with the diabetes educator yesterday, this morning my group was giving flu vaccinations to the members of the Lac Du Flambeau tribal members. There were ten or eleven members that stopped in to receive the vaccination for the upcoming flu season. We spent this time giving the injections and directing the tribal members to another area of the community room to sign up for another health screening that is for later this year. All of the tribal members were very friendly and overall the ones that came in were yearly regulars for flu vaccinations, which was great to know. After the flu shot clinic had ended, we had lunch and then walked around the reservation for a short while to gather some information for our community assessment. We were able to go on a tour of a historical boarding school that closed in the 1930's. This boarding school was a place where White folks essentially uprooted all of the Indian children from their homes without permission and forced all of them to assimilate into the mainstream White culture of that time. It was a horrible scenario where the children were stripped of all clothing, values, beliefs, ceremonies, and language of their native culture. They were forced to wear clothing that was acceptable by the White people, learn to speak the English language, and learn a trade such as carpentry or blacksmith work. It is definitely an emotionally charged historic topic for the Indians here on the reservation even to this day. It is a culture and a people that are still struggling to recover. The boarding school teaches Ojibwe language lessons to helped revive the native language of the tribe and is now in the process of finishing up an area of the boarding school that is going to be a research center for tribal members that was to look at their lineage and family history. It is a way to take away some of the deep-seeded anger from the history trauma and turn it into something useful and purposeful to them. It has been an incredible day and it is definitely a beautiful group of people that live here despite all of the hardship and struggle that they have had to endure.
ReplyDeleteToday we started our journey at the clinic. I and my partner Phylicia provided flu shots during walk-in hours. It was fun to be able to meet and interact with different individuals from the reservation. Everyone was so polite and willing to learn. There were different areas for individuals to go to, flu shot education and colon/rectal screening teaching We had the change to talk with Michaela who is an RN who lives and works on the reservation. She was brought to the reservation at the age of 9. She went into explanation on how many Native Americans do not feel they need to do much with their education status or work status do to some housing that is offered is free, therefore they do not need to pay much for anything, and then have declined motivation to do better with their futures. She was talking about how her children have the choice to go to college or they need to experience living and paying for things on their own, in which in turn she hopes that they create motivation and drive to do bigger and better things with their life as she has hers. She is great to sit down and talk to about Native American culture and their community health, living, and opportunities. After our teaching we were able to tour the boys boarding school. This was very neat to learn about and explore the home. This home has a lot of history and heartache for the community. Many from the community did not want it updated due to the hurt it has caused the Native Americans in the past. But, now many come to learn and explore themselves and see it as a place that they have gained strength from. Learning about this culture is absolutely amazing!
ReplyDeleteToday started out at the clinic. We split into our three groups, I and Phylicia were able to sit and talk with Micheala who is in charge of women's health and pre-natal. She is absolutely great at her job, and has such a strong passion to help the women and infants of the community. She has advocated to many about starting birth control, healthy starts, WIC and much more. During our time here, our group of students were able to help her with a Safe Sleep project that she is working on for a grant. She was very pleased with the outcome. After our time at the clinic, we all took a tour of their beautiful Dentist office. They provide everything for patients from teeth cleaning, root canals, to orthodontics. It was incredible. We then had our tour of the Indian Village. This was very neat. Being able to see how Native Americans lived, cooked, played games, and gathered food blew my mind. It is so hard to picture things when you only read from a book, but being able to actual see in person made that picture clear. I do not think there would be many individuals today able to live the way Native Americans live. We take way to much for granted. Taking this tour and learning this way of life opened my eyes. I truly enjoyed every aspect of this trip. I have gained a lot of knowledge,outlook, and memories to share. :)
ReplyDeleteOctober 14 2015:
ReplyDeleteToday we delivered med boxes to the community. It was really interesting to see how they lived. We delivered 8 out of 12 med boxes with Sarah. Ashley and I were only allowed into two homes. After we delivered med boxes we were given a tour of the dental clinic. It was an amazing tour and the dental clinic provides so many services to people inside and outside of the community. After the dental clinic we were given a tour of the Indian village, Waswagoninig. It was amazing to see how the Indians used to live and how much they knew not only about their own world but the world around us s well. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Afterwards we presented our safe sleep practices project to the workers of the community center and they were very excited about all the progress we had made. Overall, it was an amazing trip, I learned so much and am truly thankful I was able to go.
On the last day of this very enlightening trip, my colleagues and I were able to talk to a local community care provider and learn about some challenges when addressing problems in the community. The care provider emphasized on the importance of building relationships with members of the community in order to reach out to them and be heard. Soon after, we visited the local dental clinic and learned that along with providing great dental care for the reservation community, they also provide dental assistant programs. Then to conclude our day, we presented a sleep analysis survey that we worked on while we were at Lac du Flambeau to all of the staff in the clinic. We thanked them and presented some of the staff members with gifts. I thought the trip was a great experience and leaving was a bittersweet feeling.
ReplyDeleteOn my last day I was able to learn all about the healthy starts program that is available for the Lac Du Flambeau tribe. This program provides teaching and support for pregnant women and newborn mothers. With this program a team member from the community health center does home visits and teaches the mothers about what to expect through pregnancy and after the baby is born. This gives the staff member to chance to create a relationships with the clients which in return allows her to make sure the baby is being care for properly, provides a recourse for the mother, and enables her to provide new information and teaching. This is a great program that is available to this specific tribe. I also was able to take a tour of a Native American village and learn all about their culture. It was so interesting to learn all the new facts about the culture, traditions, and ways of living. This was an experience I really enjoyed. After reflecting back on this, I have really learned the importance of community health nursing. If this community health center was not available to the Lac du Flambeau tribe, many of them would not receive any health care services. It really has opened my eyes and made me look differently on community health nursing. Overall the entire trip was amazing and great experience. This is defiantly a trip I will not forget and recommend to others.
ReplyDeleteOn the last day of our trip to Lac du Flambeau, we were able to hear about a few of the programs that were offered to the people in the tribe. We heard about the Head Start program that was offered to expecting and new mothers. My partner and I were also able to ride along with the community health nurse when she delivered medication boxes to the elders of the tribe. This was a very eye-opening experience for me because we were able to see the living conditions of some of the living conditions on the reservation. We were also able to present some of the work that we completed during the week to the health clinic workers; we were able to talk about the questionnaires and handout that we completed for the safe sleep grant. Another very interesting thing that we were able to do on the last day of the trip was going and touring the Waswagoning Village. This village showed us how the Native Americans lived prior to being put on reservation. Touring the recreated village was extremely educational and fun at the same time!
ReplyDeleteThe last day on the Lac Du Flambeau reservation was very busy. My partner and I spent the morning working with the women's and prenatal health nurse discussing different barriers to health for pregnant women on the reservation as well as discuss the grant and how beneficial that will be to the community. The safe sleep facts and surveys will be a huge benefit to the clinic because it is another way of primary prevention to educate safe sleeping practices for infants to help prevent SIDS. The nurse was very grateful to all who worked on that project with her. I think I can speak for the group in saying that it felt pretty good to be doing something positive for the tribal community through the safe sleep project, providing flu shots, and educating on diabetes and alcohol abuse/intimate partner violence. The last thing that we did on the reservation before leaving for the last time was going on a tour of the Waswagoning Village. The woman that showed us around the village has part Indian-part Swedish ancestry and she married an Ojibwe Indian. They used to operate the village tours together for many years and now her son helps her since her husband passed on. The village itself was a way to show how the Ojibwe Indians lived before being forced to live on reservations and before the culture was stripped from them by the English settlers. There was a summer camp, winter camp, canoe and wild rice area, a snare trap area, and different camps for professions such as weapon making. I learned a vast amount of information on the tour. I did not know that wild rice grows in water patties and I did not realize how much work goes into harvesting this particular crop. Overall, the trip to Lac Du Flambeau helped me even further to realize just how many different facets of community health nursing there is. It was an opportunity like none other that I have experienced through this nursing program and I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to go on this trip. I will recommend this trip in the future!
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