For the Inuit of Quebec, the pandemic situation currently paints a bleak picture, and will continue for some months to come. In Nunavik’s 14 villages, made vulnerable by the pandemic, there is a shortage of health professionals, minimal services, and several essential health services are simply unavailable.
Nancy Vaillancourt, a nurse clinician and nursing instructor at Cégep de Chicoutimi, was deeply troubled by the current precariousness of Nunavik’s health network and the low vaccination rate in the Inuit communities. To help medical teams and the population, she worked closely with the various departments of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health to form a team of three teachers and three nursing students from Cégep de Chicoutimi.
In respect and consideration for the needs expressed by the communities, teams were sent to Nunavik to provide health care. The deployment took place from January 3 to 15, 2022, in three Hudson’s Bay villages: Puvirnituq, Akulivik and Inukjuak, with one teacher and one student per village. This educational and humanitarian initiative, supported by Ms. Vaillancourt, focuses on cultural awareness, cultural security, openness to others and cultural differences. Ms. Vaillancourt also believes that this brief visit to the northern region can help recruit future health professionals.
Here is the link to the CChic dans le Nord Facebook page, where you can learn about the students’ internship through their own writings and see photos of the reality of life in Northern Quebec as well as the beauty of its people. https://www.facebook.com/CCHICdansleNORD
Project submitted by Nancy Vaillancourt, Nurse Clinician, Nursing Instructor, Cégep de Chicoutimi
Other contributors to the project: Sylvie Maltais, Nurse Clinician, Nursing Instructor, Cégep de Chicoutimi; Véronique Houde, Nurse Clinician, Nursing Instructor, Cégep de Chicoutimi; Frédéric Perron, Nursing Student, Cégep de Chicoutimi; Ann-Gélikas Fortin, Nursing Student, Cégep de Chicoutimi; and Ève-Marie Fortin Smith, Nursing Student, Cégep de Chicoutimi
