CULTURAL COMPETENCY PARTICIPANT REVIEWS

I really enjoyed it.  Even though I work only with people of different racial backgrounds and felt I was just taking the course for the recert, I still learned so much. It also reminded me of things that I am passionate about but have let slip after some time. I am deep in ideas over the IMBCI, wondering how I can help further this in hospitals in India when I go next summer.  The links all worked fine, any problems I had were on my end with my connection. I enjoyed going to different sites and learning about others that do this work. Reading about Jennie Joseph made it hard to sit still! I have wanted to start a clinic in India that served wealth people interested in natural birth only to take that money to provide free services to the poor; I think it would be a good sustainable model. I was worried about taking the class with all three boys and the pregnancy and having to care so much for the house (we are deep into canning and preserving this time of year) but the class was easy to manage without being dumbed down at all! I hope I can get other CEU's this way in the future, it's a great way for midwives over seas to get those much sought after CEU's.  Thanks Again, Your help is always like a fresh glass of water for me!

- Amanda Phillips, CPM, India and USA

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the course and found the format very easy to use. The content was informative with good links to further websites and organizations for further investigations. It was very helpful to have the links as it is very easy to get 'lost' in too much or incorrect information when using online information. Currently I work as an Occupational Therapist in NZ and as part of this engage with people of different cultures - Maori, Pacific Island, Indian, European and I think the advise from yourself to ask 'What do you think caused . . ., and 'What do you think will make it better?' is invaluable and I will definitely be using it more. The course made me reflect on my current practice in a health field and identify times when I have not provided a culturally competent assessment. Even after working with a minority population in a developing nation and observing blatant mistreatment when accessing healthcare it was eye opening to find racism can be identified as a contributing factor to neonatal and maternal morbidity/mortality, however, on reflection makes sense. The pre-exams and post-exams were a great way to focus and I found the whole layout, videos and the ease of use a great motivation to study - Thankyou to your team for producing such a good quality teaching.

- Tina Hernandez, Student Midwife, New Zealand

Just to let you know how much I enjoyed the Cultural Competency course, it was very interesting, informative and very worthwhile.

- Helen MacDonald, Student Midwife, Scotland

I loved the course - and glad I took online - because it is so important and I am so passionate about this...I am just floored and inspired and just love all that you do and God has put your hand to - and THANK YOU for the time and effort put into creating better birth and maternity for women all over the country.

- Doran Richards, CPM, USA

I just finished the new Cultural Competency course, and I really loved it as well. Thank you very much Ian for your personal and compassionate help with my technical difficulties. Thanks for providing such thoughtful and thought provoking educational material for us, your students. I look forward to meeting all of you in person one day. I am reaffirmed in my choice of educational path more and more each day that I study with you all.

- Annie Soutter, Student Midwife, USA

I decided to do Mercy In Action's online CEU course on Cultural Competency because I have experienced Vicki's teaching in the past while taking the NARM Study Retreat. Vicki has a very unique way of disseminating a wealth of information. You don't always realize how much you are taking away until much later. This course on Cultural Competency did not disappoint. I will admit to feeling that it wouldn't apply to me and my practice. I feel that I am relatively evolved and very accepting of other cultures. What I learned from this course is that it doesn't matter if you are accepting or not, what matters is having an understanding of the cultures that you are serving, using concrete communication skills which protect the clients you serve, and adapting your practice to the cultures you serve if you truly want to be "with woman". This course pointed out many subtle things that pricked my conscience about giving women respect no matter what their circumstances are. As well as charging me with the desire to serve women who are overlooked in our society with an even greater sense of purpose. I have a new stack of books sitting on my nightstand that I was inspired to purchase, because of this course, about a particular culture that I serve lovingly, but perhaps somewhat ignorantly. In all, I gained much more than CEU's from this course. Thank you Mercy In Action.

- Bettie Sheets CPM, LM, USA

I came to a workshop that you taught in Austin, Texas a couple of years ago and thought it was the best continuing education course I have attended in the 10 years that I have been a midwife. I greatly admire your work and was excited to see that you offer the NARM required cultural competency course.

- Erin Reynoso, LM, CPM, USA

A truly great course.... Thank you Ian, Rose, and your mom for creating this fabulous course. It was enlightening, moving, inspiring, and deeply informative. I believe it will be the recommended course for our students (I think that Shannon, co-director at NMI, will be taking it soon as well, so we can decide together). My only suggestion is that the term socio-economic be defined..I was misled by the socio part, as society has in fact shaped the stress that contributes to prematurity for black women.

I send you my love, respect, and gratitude for this wonderful contribution to midwifery education, awareness, and accountability. And you may use my comments, I’d be happy to add my endorsement to the review page for the Cultural Competency course. Blessings and peace in your work. See you in Spring!

- Elizabeth Davis, Midwife, USA: Author of Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth

I recently completed the Cultural Competency course and truly enjoyed it and found it highly informative and inspiring! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much and also to Rose and Ian much thanks! Sending overflowing light and blessings to you and all that surrounds you!

- Wayra Julia Salem, Alternative Medicine Student, Peru, South America

I loved it! I’m an Irish trained midwife so our cultural competency training was a little different….I learned lots especially around racism and maternity in the US….I honestly didn’t realize that so many of the poor outcomes are not socioeconomic but from the stress of living with racism your entire life. Really eye opening. Thank you for a great course!

- Tracy Donegan, Midwife, Ireland

I am in the middle of the Mercy in Action Cultural Competency course and I want to thank you all for making this available. You have done an excellent job organizing the content, presenting it in the wonderful Penwell way, and using technology to its best degree. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the fullness of my heart. I encourage you all to offer more online courses - this was a great experience for this novice.

- Barb Rawlings, Midwife, USA

As someone who has lived and gone to school in another country and growing up with parents from two different cultures, I find this module to be very essential for health care providers in any field of work. Culture shapes the way we practice within interactions and communication and through this module I have learned that in order to be an effective care provider, we have to meet our patient/client where they are. It is not about mothers molding themselves to fit our expectations as educated health care providers, but how we can positively support them in their situation for what it may be. I enjoyed learning about the "Do's and Taboos" that is present in every culture and how important it is to learn them when traveling to different areas. This is a form of respect we must acknowledge. Thank you!

- Sumayya Sulaiman

This course was excellent and I was pleased with its thoroughness. From it, I learned how to offer competent, unbiased and culturally humble care. I was grateful to be given as many links to other websites as this course gave, as this helped me to connect more fully with the world of culturally kind maternity services.

- Mary Hannah Schwarzen, student midwife

This course would be helpful and useful to anyone in any industry, but was extremely helpful as I step into midwifery. I learned so much about the importance of respecting and knowing another's culture and experiences to be the most effective midwife, not only globally but even in the United States. The subject matter was clearly and effectively stated and outlined, and it was given in a way that made it easy to apply in midwifery practice.

- Sanchez, Whitney, Student Midwife

I loved your class, it has helped me become much more aware, I am looking into antiracist classes now as well. You are wonderful!!

- Hannah Dunford, LDEM, CPM

This course was eye-opening for me. As someone who has lived domestically and abroad, it gave me a new understanding of the complexities of cultural respect. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about maternal/fetal outcomes and how they can be improved, as well as my role in helping the worldwide midwifery community.

- Sarah McBride, Student Midwife

Loved this course! Sooo well done!

- Lauren Robertson