Summary of Lesson Learnt

Creating healthcare inspired blog posts, focused in kidney care, and curating resources has sparked numerous "light bulb" moments. The most significant themes that emerged for me centred around professional identity, project development, and the future of kidney care. 

Professional Identify

This process prompted me to reflect not only on how I want to be perceived but also on the kind of professional I aim to become and how to achieve that. The process of defining my professional values and understanding the benefits and risks of social media has guided me in this effort. 

Creating my professional values started when I understood that you can have more than one professional identity and these can be shaped by various factors such as designation, title, experience, and more (Warren & Braithwaite, 2020). While my foundation is rooted in being a trained Registered Nurse, I also see myself as a leader in renal care. Balancing these sometimes contrasting roles can be challenging, but it has enriched my understanding of my professional experiences and values. When writing about my professional career, from Registered Nurse to renal leadership, and reflecting on the legislation that applies to my Clinical Nurse Specialist practice, I was able to reflect on how my professional identity what shaped by both. From those realizations, I created and wrote down my professional values on my homepage: innovation, excellence, equity, and courage. Research supports the idea that identifying one’s values can strengthen professional identity (Weldon et al., 2024). For me, putting these ideas into writing made them more concrete and intentional. 

Additionally, the digital audit helped clarify how I want to be perceived as a healthcare leader and highlighted the risks social media poses to professional identity, particularly with the blurring of personal and medical life (Warren & Braithwaite, 2020). Curating resources around this topic provided practical tools for shaping the ideal perception by crafting a digital identity and removing content that doesn't align with that (Jawed, Mahboob, & Yasmeen, 2019; Masiero & Bailur, 2020). Moving forward, being mindful of adhering to privacy regulations and maintaining professional integrity are crucial in reaping the benefits to having a social media presence (Jawed, Mahboob, & Yasmeen, 2019; Warren & Braithwaite, 2020).  Social media can improve patient engagement and aid in developing a professional career (Warren & Braithwaite, 2020). Personally, my goal is to use social media to improve knowledge and awareness about kidney care aiding in innovation to develop excellent and equitable care with courage. These are also my professional values.

These principles guide my work as I advocate for, create, and build exceptional projects that address both the current and future needs of kidney care. 

Alignment of Kidney Care Projects with Priorities 

When examining federal and provincial health systems, the social determinants of health, multiple level frameworks to understand health, chronic disease management and prevention, and vulnerable populations, a recurring and significant theme was the need to address discrepancies in renal care, which disproportionately affect Indigenous communities. Both the provincial and federal governments have identified Indigenous peoples as a group facing significant health inequities due to increased exposure to factors such as pollution, poor water quality, food insecurity, and limited healthcare access (Government of BC, 2025; Government of Canada, 2018). 

The multiple level framework called the Health Equity Framework provides a comprehensive lens of these disparities by considering physiological pathways, individual factors, social networks, and systemic influences (Peterson et al., 2021). For chronic kidney disease, key contributors include genetic predisposition, environmental conditions, systemic racism, personal experiences, and barriers to screening and care (Bello et al., 2019; Berens, Jensen, & Nelson, 2017; Chaturvedi, 2024; Harasemiw, Komenda, & Tangri, 2022; Lavoie, McLeod, Zacharias, et al., 2023). The framework also highlights successful initiatives, such as KidneyCheck, which uses culturally safe tools delivered by Indigenous healthcare workers (Kidney Check, 2021). Also included was the BC Renal’s Home-First Policy as it aligns with Indigenous values by prioritizing care at home (BC Renal, n.d.). British Columbia is also the only province with a dedicated Indigenous health authority, the First Nations Health Authority (First Nations Health Authority, n.d.). Even further, the BRIDGE program by BC Renal for kidney transplant education has integrated key cultural safe principles into its materials to address disparities (Gill, 2024). When looking at the research, I was also able to identify reoccurring recommendations to improve Indigenous renal care inducing, but not limited to, health partnerships, improving chronic kidney disease screening, incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing in all patient and staff education, and supporting Indigenous staff and initiatives (Bello et al., 2019; Berens, Jensen, & Nelson, 2017; Chaturvedi, 2024; Harasemiw, Komenda, & Tangri, 2022; Lavoie, McLeod, Zacharias, et al., 2023). 

These themes directly align with my work as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. A key focus of my role is leading quality initiatives and research for the Interior Health Renal Program. One of my current projects involves updating our Indigenous strategy that was better informed by the in-depth environmental scan required for each blog. Collaborating with the transplant educator, quality consultant, and renal leadership has helped ensure our efforts align with current research and best practices. These insights allowed me to better identify discrepancies in renal care, and I look forward to contributing to future initiatives aimed at closing these gaps. 

Vision of the Future of Kidney Care 

Exploring the future of kidney care was a small but exciting part of this process. The possibilities of more accessible treatments, reduced patient burden, environmentally friendly solutions, and improved cardiovascular outcomes are truly inspiring (Wieringa et al., 2025). Potential advancements like wearable peritoneal dialysis, wearable artificial kidneys, and implantable artificial kidneys could transform care (Wieringa et al., 2025). While many of these innovations are not yet available for public use, they have motivated me to stay informed about emerging research and future opportunities (Wieringa et al., 2025). This insight has given me a clearer vision of what kidney care could become.  

These projects are intriguing because they align with my professional values, innovation that prioritizes excellence, equity in the face of resistance, and the courage to drive change. Even further, with what I know about disparities in renal care, these advancements also present an opportunity to be developed in ways that address Indigenous health inequities. The future of kidney care is not just about technology; it’s about ensuring that progress is inclusive, accessible, and transformative for all. 

Conclusion

Reflecting on this process overall, it’s clear that the material was highly relevant to my work. Understanding how my professional values are shaped has helped me refine how I present myself as a healthcare leader, both digitally and in practice. Investigating the alignment of kidney care projects with government priorities has reinforced my role in advancing initiatives that address systemic disparities, particularly in Indigenous communities. Finally, exploring future innovations in renal care has fueled my drive to stay at the forefront of research and policy, ensuring that new advancements are not only groundbreaking but also grounded in equity. By integrating these insights into my practice, I am better equipped to contribute meaningfully to the evolution of kidney care, one that is innovative, excellent, equitable, and done with courage. 

References

BC Renal. (n.d.). It’s better at home [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watchv=_hqSQUEq_cQ&list=PLgaBYChIaS-3KSuGH67qNWYhiJ9ygJHFJ&index=2 

Bello AK, Ronksley PE, Tangri N, et al. (2019). Quality of Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Canadian Primary Care. JAMA Network Open, 2(9), e1910704. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10704 

Berens, A.E., Jensen, S.K.G. & Nelson, C.A. (2017). Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications. BMC Med, 15, 135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0895-4   

Chaturvedi, S., Bianchi, M. E. V., Bello, A., Crowshoe, H., & Hughes, J. T. (2024). Barriers to optimal kidney health among Indigenous peoples. Kidney International Reports, 9(3), 508–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2024.01.038 

First Nations Health Authority. (n.d.). Social determinants of health strategy. First Nations Health Authority. https://www.fnha.ca/what-wedo/health-system/social-determinants-of-health-strategy?utm_source=chatgpt.com   

Gill, J. (2024). Working with Indigenous people in transplant medicine - The BRIDGE to Transplant Initiative [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvSiqxlZops 

Government of British Columbia. (2025). Closing the gap: A primer to reduce population health inequities in British Columbia. Government of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/publichealth/pph-framework/bc_population_and_public_health_closing_the_gap_primer_jan_2025.pdf 

Government of Canada. (2019). Key health inequalities in Canada: A national portrait - executive summary. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/publications/science-research/key-health-inequalities-canada-national-portrait-executive-summary/key_health_inequalities_full_report-eng.pdf    

Harasemiw, O., Komenda, P., & Tangri, N. (2022). Addressing inequities in kidney care for Indigenous people in Canada. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 33(8), 1474–1476. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2022020215 

Jawed, S., Mahboob, U., & Yasmeen, R. (2019). Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Education for Health, 32(1), 33–35. https://doi.org/10.4103/efh.EfH_232_17 

Kidney Check. (2021). Kidney Check: Identifying kidney disease and diabetes in Indigenous communities [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4EgWXA8Sxs&t=4s 

Lavoie, J. G., McLeod, L., Zacharias, J., et al. (2023). How systemic racism results in poorer outcomes for First Nations, and what First Nations are doing about it: The example of kidney health. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3694294/v1 

Masiero, S., & Bailur, S. (2020). Digital identity for development: The quest for justice and a research agenda. Information Technology for Development, 27(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2021.1859669 

Peterson, A., Charles, V., Yeung, D., & Coyle, K. (2021). The health equity framework: A  science and justice based model for public health researchers and practitioners. Health Promotion Practice, 22(6), 741-746. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839920950730 

Warren, M., & Braithwaite, C. (2020). Understanding the relationship between professional regulation and professional identity in health care. Journal of Medical Regulation, 106(2), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.30770/2572-1852-106.2.7 

Weldon, D., White, A., Bouldin, A., Gregory, D., Kuo, G. M., & Fuentes, D. (2023). Organizational values: Essential substrate for professional identity formation. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 87(12), 100542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100542 

Wieringa, F. P., Suran, S., Søndergaard, H., Ash, S., Cummins, C., Chaudhuri, A. R., Irmak, T., Gerritsen, K., & Vollenbroek, J. (2025). The future of technology-based kidney replacement therapies: An update on portable, wearable, and implantable artificial kidneys. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2024.10.015