Learner Feedback

Dignity in Pregnancy & Childbirth
for Indigenous Women & Birthing People

What learners are saying...

I think this course was phenomenal! The most valuable aspects were the testimonies given by actual Indigenous ladies/birthing people. The cherry on top in most cases were testimonies also given by Indigenous healthcare providers; we have a LOT to learn from them, which was my key takeaway. I believe overall, this course would be excellent for healthcare staff and providers.

- Physician, Female, Asian, 27, Liberal, SC

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I found it valuable to hear the stories of indigenous women. I also found it interesting to learn about the power of unconscious bias and the ideas about people we may not even be aware of. I feel as if I have learned about the effect of these biases on black people but never through the lens of Indigenous people.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, White, 29, Moderate, NJ

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I am highly impressed by the efforts placed in this course and its impact. I have gained a deeper understanding on the how biases and stereotypes can harm the birthing mothers, also I learned how to put myself in others shoes in other not to take their pain and frustrations for granted. The serious effect of biases and stereotypes has been going on and with this new information, I will do what is expected of me as a healthcare provider to improve the lives of others.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, Black, 49, Liberal, NY

I felt that the course was very informative. It brought to my attention how differently people are still treated. I don't think I would change the course as it explains everything in an understandable way and gives tips to try and improve implicit thoughts and biases. It shows that it should not matter the color of the skin but who the person is and how they are feeling. I think it can help healthcare providers to stop and think and try not to be biased.

- Administrative Professional, Female, White, 53, Moderate, OH

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I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in this learning course, which I believe is essential to increasing the cultural awareness of healthcare providers, regardless of location of practice. As a clinician, what was most valuable to me were the tips and tools for increasing awareness of and combating stereotypic thinking in clinical practice. I believe that if more physicians were to participate in studies like this, we would have a much more culturally competent healthcare workforce overall. I am very impressed with this course.

- Physician, Female, Black, 39, Liberal, IN

It was well presented and made a lot of sense. Yes, it is a very useful course for healthcare providers and staff. All people should be treated fairly and free of bias, especially in the healthcare setting.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, White, 46, Conservative, FL

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I could understand the perils of the maternal care of indigenous women due to the fact that I am African American. The course definitely reminded me that I need to be more aware and empathetic to the needs of the patient and respect their culture as well. I should not just assume but instead ask questions to make sure they are included as well in their care. The teaching video is awesome and definitely can play a huge role in helping healthcare professionals to be more open and intuitive to the needs of other cultures, especially indigenous women and their care.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, Black, 51, Liberal, LA

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I liked the course because it exposed me to a topic I am not all that familiar with. What was most valuable to me was making me aware of my implicit biases and how it might affect how I see patients. I would have never thought of this before so that was something new that I learned. This will be a useful course.

- Pharmacist, Female, White, 31, Moderate, NJ

This was a useful and important course for all healthcare providers. It has many aspects that are helpful to even those who are in allied health, social and community services, mental health practitioners, and more. Making it clear that NONE of us are immune to implicit bias is key and this course did a good job of communicating that in a variety of ways throughout the course…While I have taken many courses that teach these principles before, I did learn new information specific to indigenous cultural groups
 

- Behavioral Health Professional, Female, White, 31, Very Liberal, SC

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Very well structured course. The personal accounts really help bring the problem to life in a clinically meaningful way. I learned some new information related to these various groups, but also strategies I can use to make sure I am not placing bias in my care.


- Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Male, White, 36, Liberal, UT

How did the course affect your patient care?

Participants were followed up on at least 3 months after completing the course.

As a practitioner of adult and child neurology, I routinely treat pregnant patients with a number of concerns ranging from eclampsia to generalized epilepsy and chronic migraine. This course helps me to be aware of patient needs in a way that truly helps me provide the most comprehensive care for them.

- Physician, Female, Asian, 23, Liberal, IN

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It has made me more aware of unintentional bias which has allowed me to be more reflective.

- Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Male, White, 36, Moderate, UT

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I don’t work with indigenous families typically, but i do work in a very culturally diverse area doing home visits for kids with special needs. I think about this workshop all the time, and while I don’t remember specific strategies from the course, I do remember having the realization that there is just so much I don’t know. I’ve tried to focus on asking more questions and trying to be more sensitive to the family’s responses. For example, I’ve had several Somali families since I’ve taken this course. I’ve focused more attention on trying to build rapport and trust before I recommend anything, because I know there is a lot of hesitancy to trust the medical community. This hesitation to trust the medical community isn’t unique to the somali populations—when I learned about this belief from indigenous populations, it prompted me to do some more reading. From there, I learned that many of my families may hesitate to trust providers, and that honestly opened my eyes as to why so many families seem to abruptly drop contact with my organization. Honestly it was eye opening.

- Speech Pathologist, Female, White, 27, Very Liberal, KS

I think I am more aware of the patient perspective and treating all patient differences with respect.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, White, 30, Moderate, NJ

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It caused me to pause and consider how I might be unintentionally practicing bias in my interactions with patients. I became even more mindful in how I chose my words and made sure to listen even more than I already did. It made me look at my own actions and how I approach things.

- Medical Technician, Male, White, 38, Very Liberal, TX

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I was able to show more empathy and understanding to all situations. I do understand that not all care can be done by text book but one should put the patient and family first and foremost when providing care in all areas.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, Black, 52, Liberal, LA

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The course helped me recognize certain personal and cultural biases of pregnant women in healthcare. I do think it is important to be open-minded to each patient without implementing too many personal biases. It is also significant to learn from the patients, whether it is culturally or historically. I am always seeing myself learning more about different people when I am not familiar with.


- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, Asian, 24, Moderate, CA

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I can now acknowledge my own biases and how they may impact your patient interactions. I pay attention to what patients say and ask clarifying questions. I understand the beliefs, values, and practices of diverse patient populations.


- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, Black, 59, Liberal, MA

Overall, I was more aware of biases that I carried as well as others around me. I was quick to point them out and reevaluate how I deal with patients. I was more understanding not quick to judge patients based on their background or situation. I listened more and respected their wishes instead of brushing them off or dismissing their concerns.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, Black, 41, Liberal, FL

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Just reminded me to make sure I treat all patients equally.

- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, White, 47, Conservative, FL

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It taught me to look at patients more than just problems to deal with and that empathy goes a long ways.


- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, Asian, 36, Moderate, NY

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After taking the survey, I started utilizing terms like we and us in reference to the care we were providing so that it made it feel more like a team instead of Us (medical) vs them(patient/pt family.) This small action in and of itself, was probably the most useful bit of information that I garnered from the survey. The actual visceral reaction that would sometimes send pts and their families through the roof and make them extremely defensive was no longer there. The rest of the care basically fell into place from there.


- Nurse (RN, LPN), Male, White, 35, Very Liberal, NY

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The course emphasized the importance of open, respectful communication. I’ve learned to actively listen to my patients, ensuring they feel heard and valued. This has led to better rapport and trust, allowing patients to share their concerns more freely, regardless of the healthcare setting.

- Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Female, Asian, 30, Liberal, GA