Dr. Leanne Kelly
Associate Teaching Professor
School of Nursing
- Contact:
- Office: HSD B240 leannek@uvic.ca 250-472-5682
- Credentials:
- RN, MN, PhD
- Area(s) of expertise:
- Indigenous community health, public health, community engaged learning, Indigenous methodologies, addressing Indigenous specific racism, equity and social justice, Indigenous pedagogies and land based learning.
Biography
Tawnshi kiya! I am a Metis/Cree nurse, originally from the Qu’appelle Valley in Saskatchewan. My Metis parents were both Michif speakers and have sinced passed into spirit. My mother was Rose Amyotte born in the Katepwa Road Allowance community and my father was Alex Poitras, whose family migrated from the Red River area via Turtle Mountain North Dakota. I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in the 80’s and have worked in First Nations health for the majority of my nursing career. I have been a conscientious visitor to these Coast Salish lands since 1995 and have raised my sons here while working for the Quw’utsun peoples of the Cowichan valley.
I have been involved in nursing education my whole career including preceptorships, course development, land based collaborative learning and online course facilitation.
I completed my dissertation in 2024, with a focus on deepening my understanding of Indigenous methodologies and their application to nursing and nursing education. to address Indigenous -specific racism in the practice environment.
I position myself broadly as a community engaged faculty with an interest in Indigenous wellness, intergenerational mentorship, Indigenous methodologies, addressing Indigenous specific racism and strength based community strategies.
I am involved in developing and supporting modes of knowledge translation from primary research to educational curriculum and nursing relevance. I have a supportive role with several research faculty in the School of Nursing and advisory roles with graduate students.
My research interests focus primarily on Indigenous wellness and transformative educational strategies.
PhD Dissertation: Reclaiming Our Relationships: Exploring Students’ Experience of Indigenist Antiracism Education in Nursing, Doctoral Research (2024)
2025:
- Nursing 484 Understanding Indigenous Health and Wellbeing
- Nursing 475 Consolidated Practice Experience IV
- Nursing 491 Nursing Practice Transitions
2024:
- INDW 526 Intergenerational Mentorship I
2023:
- Nursing 484 Understanding Indigenous Health and Wellbeing, Course Coordinator
- Nursing 370 Consolidated Practice Experience III
- Nursing 470 Consolidated Practice Experience IV
- Nursing 456 Nursing with Communities and Health Systems
Daly, K., Kelly, L., McCall, J., Finlay, J., & Caine, V. (in progress). The Impact of Communities of Learning on Anti-Racist Practices in a Nursing Faculty. To be submitted to Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse.
Finlay, J., Anandji, S., Daly, K., Kelly, L., McCall, J. & Caine, V. (in progress). Communities of Learning that address Anti-racist Practices in Higher Education: A Scoping Review. To be submitted to Nursing Education Today.
Kelly, Leanne and Daly, Kim (2024) "Indigenous Nurse and White Settler Nurse Teaching Teams: Learning to Disrupt With Indigenist Nursing Education," Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Advances in Nursing Education : Vol. 10: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17483/2368-6669.1433
Leanne Poitras Kelly, Mona (Lisa) Bourque Bearskin, Lisa Perley-Dutcher, Bernice Downey, &
Christina Chakanyuka. (2023). Indigenous Nurse Perspectives: Ethical Realities. In Rodney, P.,
Starzomski, R. & Storch, J (Eds.), Toward a Moral Horizon: Nursing Ethics for Leadership Practice (3rd ed.). University of Victoria Libraries’ ePublishing Services
Poitras Kelly (2023). A really good brown nurse. In R. Monchalin (Ed.), Critical Perspectives in Public Health Feminisms. Canadian Scholars.
Braithwaite, T. J., Kelly, L., & Chakanyuka, C. (2022). File of Uncertainties: Exploring student experience of applying decolonizing knowledge in practice. Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière: Vol. 8: Iss. 3, Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17483/23686669.1351
Poitras Kelly, L. & Chakanyuka, C. (2021). Truth before reconciliation, antiracism before cultural safety. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 1-8.