Open Collections

Tisdale, Dawn

University of British Columbia

Background: The impact of colonization, assimilative policies, genocide and the disruption of Indigenous Knowledge systems through the imposition of Western bio-medical supremacy within Canada’s healthcare system has fractured and harmed health and healing practices that have otherwise contributed to healthy Indigenous communities and populations since time immemorial. The harm stemming from colonization and anti-Indigenous racism within healthcare and nursing have resulted in gross inequities and poor health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Nurses play a key role in addressing discourses about anti-Indigenous racism in health systems and the health inequities impacting Indigenous Peoples. The objectives of this thesis are to draw on key policy texts as an entry point for exploring and describing the various discourses, contextual factors, and socio-political trends that influence nursing’s engagement with policies related to Indigenous Peoples’ health. Methods: Primary data was collected from numerous text-based sources via provincial, national and international nursing organizations, including reports, policy products, descriptive articles and print-based intervention materials. This study was guided by critical discourse theory, critical race theory and critical Indigenous theory to analyze the factors, contexts and political trends that influence nursing’s engagement with Indigenous health policies in the Canadian context. Methodologically, critical discourse theory informed the basis of my inquiry in understanding the nature of an intended audience as a variable, where nursing discourse is examined to characterize the audience of nursing regarding its relationships as a profession with Indigenous health policies. Conclusions: These findings have implications for the promotion of Indigenous health and well-being through the disruption of anti-Indigenous racism in health systems by investigating nursing’s role and relationship with Indigenous health policies. In response to intervention materials directed at anti-Indigenous racism in healthcare, this study supports the nursing profession in actioning their positionality to disrupt harmful colonial systems and provide culturally safe healthcare and access for Indigenous Peoples.

Text

2024-11-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/86282

Nursing

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/