Indigenous Nurses Day celebrated by Street Connections patrol
It’s been five years since Jennie Russell started patrolling Winnipeg with the Street Connections Van – an initiative of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and it was one of the best decisions she’s made in life.
“People are coming to me to seek care,” Russell said.
“The relationship is the greatest thing to have in a community because that builds trust.”
Russell and a colleague operate the van every Monday to Saturday evening from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. She works with Winnipeg’s vulnerable populations handing out harm reduction supplies, and assisting those who experience barriers to accessing health-care.
“My role is to support people who need some health care assistance with sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections, so any kind of reportable infection to public health,” Russell said.
Harm reduction supplies like glass pipes, needles and Naloxone have become daily items she will distribute on her routes.
“I think right now our bubble pipes -they're glass pipes that we hand out and we give to our partners as well - we seem to be running out of them quite frequently,” Russell said.
“That's probably, the number one thing that people are coming to the van to seek us out for.”
She decided to become a nurse much later in life, and felt nursing was a great way to serve the community. The relationships she’s built on the job connect with Russell on a personal level and she’s reflective on her own lived experience.
“When I was younger, I don't think I was there in the best way possible so it was really important for me to educate myself to be able to show up for people when they needed it,” Russell said.
For organizations in the community, the van remains an important resource. Siloam Mission teams up with Street Connections for weekly needle cleanup. Having partnerships in place creates a safer and more engaged community.
"So one of the things we do here at Siloam Mission and that Street Connections does so well, is create a triangle of trust between somebody that they already know and that they know cares about them like we do here,” said Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, CEO of Siloam Mission.
“What's really key is that we're bringing services to people where they're at, as opposed to you know, kind of waiting on them to engage with these systems that might be too traumatizing for them to access services in.”
Russell said as she marks Indigenous Nurses Day, it’s a good reminder that Indigenous representation leads to better supports for Indigenous patients.
“Public health has Indigenous designated positions, so I think that's really important too,” Russell said.
“We're on the right track, we've just got to keep building that workforce.”
National Nursing Week runs until Sunday, May 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
B.C. man to be extradited to U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting stepdaughter
A British Columbia man will be extradited to the United States, where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted of charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter, after losing his appeal of the extradition order Tuesday.