Yvette Sunchild: Carrying on a family tradition

Yvette Sunchild is a Home Care Consultant with Saskatchewan Health, Community Care Branch, Regina. "I work closely with the three northern health regions: Athabasca Health Authority, Keewatin Yathe Regional Health Authority & Mamawetan Churchill River Regional Health Authority, with their Home Care and Long Term Care programs. Currently, I'm working at revising the Provincial Home Care Policy Manual," says Yvette. "I like program development because it gives me a sense of accomplishment, that my work is helping people in a broader sense."

Yvette is a Registered Nurse, and has been working in health care for about 10 years. Her decision to become a nurse was influenced by family members already working in health care. "My grandmother was a gifted woman and practised traditional medicine, she helped my family and any others who sought her help; my mother is trained as a Nursing Aide (Special Care Aide), and worked in the hospital, in Long-term Care and in Home Care; my Aunt is the Medical Transportation Coordinator for my band and two of my cousins are also diploma RNs."

Yvette graduated Grade 12 from Beauval Indian Education Centre in 1990 and began training for a nurse. In 1993, she completed the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology/Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIIT/SIAST) Indian Diploma Nursing Program. Yvette worked as a health aide in a Personal Care Home and Home Care while going to school to become an RN. After obtaining her RN license, she began work as a Home Care Nurse.

"With my band, Thunderchild First Nation, having entered into the Health Transfer Agreement, I decided as an RN that I needed to acquire a more managerial perspective of health care. In 1999, I received my Health Administration Diploma with Academic Excellence from SIIT."

Yvette's thirst for increased knowledge didn't end there; in 2002, she enrolled in the Post Registration BSN Program at the University of Saskatchewan and in 2003, received her degree at the fall convocation ceremony. Completing the program in one year is a notable accomplishment - customarily, students have five years to finish all required classes.

Yvette plans to earn her masters degree in Nursing, possibly a Masters Advanced Nurse Practitioner sometime in the near future. She has strong support and encouragement to pursue her dream from family, coworkers and her band. Equally, Yvette encourages other Aboriginal people to explore a career in health. "There are so many different fields to choose from - it's not just working in a hospital anymore. We need more First Nations people to work in health care, with First Nations health programs both on and off reserve. If anyone is interested in becoming a health professional, I tell them to ‘Go for it'."

Profile provided by Saskatchewan Job Futures.