Curious about nursing in remote villages in Alaska

ambr46 · Jul 29, 2015

Most health personnel including nurses are hire through the Health Area each one is Tribally owned and they hire through the IHS Indian Health Service as well as other sources. Many advertise through like recruiters. Any area you go outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks will be a once in a lifetime trip. The further north above the Arctic Circle the further you will be removed from the amenities people in the lower 48 take for granted. It's said that a person has to be able to fall back on themselves to be successful in these remote areas. There are school plays and performances. Many of the subsistence villages are as they were thousands of years ago save the advent of buildings and electricity. There is mail service. Few if any restaurants, and the food quality is fair. Anything that is heavy at the local market will cost you money. Housing is typically provided by the employer and some charge more than others. Utilities are almost always included. Travel is by small plane only. On some days the weather in winter closes down the area. I think that's remarkable some people find it frightening. Most residents who live year round are highly trained. It is not unusual to find a nurse who is also a paramedic firefighter.
Nothing can really prepare you for the remote villages. If you need to be entertained maybe don't try. If you are wanting to see a part of the world before time started on the American Clock then go and soak it in.

I don't know exactly why but it seems very appealing. I easily entertain myself and don't worry about boredome...just looking for that experience of a lifetime

toomuchbaloney · Jul 30, 2015

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. When you go into the villages is it mainly patient education?

When I go to village I am NOT going as an RN. I go as a hunter, fisherman, friend, etc.

Most of the people that I am acquainted with in Tanana, Rampart, Circle, etc receive their medical and nursing education when they are in city at the clinic or hospital. The Health Aides reinforce that education to some degree, but the MDs, PAs, NPs, and RNs create and deliver that content in the office setting.

It is not routine for the tribal/native health staff to travel to village rather than have the patient come to town.

I do know that the Tanana Chiefs Council and the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center in Fairbanks was looking (maybe last year?) at improving the communication between the village health aides and the nursing staff precisely for things like ongoing education with chronic disease patients. I am not certain where they are with that idea, but I am pretty sure that they have not yet instituted any formal process just yet.

It's important to remember that when you are in village you will likely not have running water (well, you run to get it generally), May not have electricity, May not have cell phone or internet access. Sometimes there is internet at the post office or other village center. There are generally places where you can go to shower or wash laundry (we call them washaterias).

Some villages are "dry", so you can't have a beer after work.

My experience demonstrates that white folks visiting in village are often too loud, talk too much, and ask too many personal questions. There are some very specific cultural differences.