Fort St. John Northern Health staff complete cultural safety training

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Northern Health staff from Fort St. John have completed cultural safety training to improve care for Indigenous patients.

According to a news release, earlier this year, 21 groups of staff from Fort St. John and Dawson Creek joined the Respectful Relationships: Cultural Safety course, offered in partnership with Northern Health’s Indigenous health education team.

Over four months, participants worked through four modules, including stories, videos, group discussions and in-person debriefs. Northern Health says 49 staff across 18 groups completed the program.

According to Northern Health, participants described the experience as transformative, saying cultural safety is not a checklist but a mindset rooted in humility, empathy and accountability.

“Many times, we simply do not know and are therefore uncomfortable,” one participant, who is not named, reflected.

“There is no harm in saying we don’t know and that we have lots to learn. That is called humility.” 

Another, named only as Jessi W., added: “A great reminder that cultural safety doesn’t come from my definition. It comes from those I am serving.”

Northern Health says more training opportunities are planned to support reconciliation and strengthen culturally safe care across the region.