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Nurse wins national award

Bodiene Dussion is just getting back to work after accepting an award in Ottawa. Last week, Dussion, a community health nurse at Saulteaux First Nation, accepted an Award for Excellence in Nursing.
Bodiene Dussion
Community Health Nurse Bodiene Dussion accepts an Award for Excellence in Nursing from Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak. Dussion, who works on Saulteaux First Nation, accepted the award last week in Ottawa. Government of Canada photo

Bodiene Dussion is just getting back to work after accepting an award in Ottawa.

Last week, Dussion, a community health nurse at Saulteaux First Nation, accepted an Award for Excellence in Nursing. The award “celebrates the dedication, initiative and excellence of nurses employed by First Nations communities, Indigenous Services Canada and Inuit communities who work in partnership to improve the health of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.”

“This year’s recipients of the Award of Excellence in Nursing have shown tremendous dedication to the nursing profession and to delivering quality health care to First Nations and Inuit communities,” Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott said in a press release.

Other award winners included Lyrithe Villeneuve from the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre in northern Quebec and Cheryl Yost at Sandy Lake Nursing Station in northern Ontario.

Dussion, who lives in Battleford and who has worked at Saulteaux for three years, has a range of duties. She is in charge of different programs in the community, along with pre-natal and post-natal matters, school immunizations and referring people to other health care facilities.

“Whatever comes in I take care of,” Dussion said.

Saulteaux Health Centre, where Dussion works, performs health promotion and prevention.

Dussion is originally from Cumberland House, and before coming to Saulteaux, worked on Opaskwayak First Nation, near The Pas, Man.

Leslie-Ann Smith, RN, nominated Dussion. Smith won the award in 2012.

Nurses learn substantially from other nurses, Dussion said, and said she has also learned from good nurses.

Dussion is First Nation, and has spent her nursing career dedicated to First Nation communities.

“I love working for my own people, and advocating for them,” Dussion said.

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