Aboriginal Nursing

Aboriginal people are highly underrepresented in the nursing workforce. In a province with a large Aboriginal population, an influx of nurses with an Aboriginal background can bring a certain level of comfort to Aboriginal patients, according to Glenna Olenick, a long-time Aboriginal Registered Psychiatric Nurse. Non-Aboriginal nurses do not always have the same sympathy for Aboriginal patients as they are not familiar with the culture and traditions and even the food that Aboriginal patients are used to. Olenick believes that education is the key to creating a stronger Aboriginal nursing workforce;

Olenick also believes that a stronger Aboriginal workforce could lead to further usage of traditional methods.