College of Nursing Faculty Member and Postdoctoral Fellow Receive SHRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

It provides financial support to high-quality candidates for a period of postdoctoral research in a health-related field under the supervision of an experienced and active researcher. Congratulations to College of Nursing Faculty member Dr. Louise Racine and Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Yixi Lu, the recent recipients of this award for their project titled Between Chinese Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine: A Negotiated Medical Decision Making Process among Mainland Chinese Immigrants in Saskatchewan.

The Chinese have become the largest foreign-born visible minority in Canada and in Saskatchewan, the arrival of Chinese people from mainland China has increased significantly. In order to provide culturally competent care to Chinese immigrants, Saskatchewan healthcare providers must understand their unique healthcare experiences and practices, in particular the widespread use of Chinese traditional medicine and the social and cultural barriers which affect communication with nurses, physicians and other health care professionals. Although these issues have been researched previously, the choice of treatment (traditional vs. biomedical) and the interaction with their illness management and communication with healthcare providers has not been explored. This project aims to explain the decision making processes that mainland Chinese immigrants use when selecting traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine for therapy selection and illness management.

Dr. Yixi Lu is honoured to have received this award. "It is with great pleasure and excitement that I receive the SHRF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. It provides me the opportunity to embark on the first major project of my career as a researcher and also allows me to carry out research on a topic which interests me greatly. My special interest in Chinese immigrants' health and healthcare issues was inspired through working with Dr. Louise Racine. I've really appreciated working with her for all these years and I believe her expertise in health and healthcare issues concerning non-Western immigrants will continue to be of benefit to me in conducting this SHRF Postdoctoral research project. I would like to extend my appreciation to the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation for their funding and support for my project. I believe that being an SHRF Post-doctoral Research Fellowship holder will bring wonderful and precious experiences to the journey of my academic and professional development."

When the study is complete, the results will help define the professional boundaries between western and Chinese traditional medicine. The results will also further inform Western health providers about traditional Chinese medicine and related alternative healing practices. As well, the findings will impact the management of chronic diseases and cancer among a minority cultural group and help health professionals design relevant health promotion programs and offer culturally responsive care.

"Dr. Lu`s project addresses an important gap in knowledge associated with new immigration," said Dr. Louise Racine, the supervising Faculty member for this study. "The migration of Chinese immigrants from mainland China may indicate different health care needs than those expressed by Chinese immigrants from previous waves of immigration. Results are likely to inform the delivery of culturally competent health services to Chinese immigrants in Saskatchewan and beyond. In addition, findings will contribute to the well-being of Chinese immigrants and will inform nurses and health care professionals about the specific health needs of this population."

From the College of Nursing, congratulations once again Dr. Racine and Dr. Lu on this great research project!

For more information on the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the above award, please click here.