Indigenous social exclusion to inclusion: Case studies on Indigenous nursing leadership in four high income countries.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This discursive paper provides a call to action from an international collective of Indigenous nurse academics from Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and the USA, for nurses to be allies in supporting policies and resources necessary to equitably promote Indigenous health outcomes. BACKGROUND: Indigenous Peoples with experiences of colonisation have poorer health compared to other groups, as health systems have failed to address their needs and preferences. Achieving health equity will require leadership from Indigenous nurses to develop and implement new systems of care delivery. However, little is known about how Indigenous nurses influence health systems as levers for change. DESIGN: A Kaupapa Maori case study design. METHODS: Using a Kaupapa Maori case study methodology, coupled with expert Indigenous nursing knowledge, we developed a consensus on key themes. Themes were derived from three questions posed across the four countries. Themes were collated to illustrate how Indigenous nurses have provided nursing leadership to redress colonial injustices, contribute to models of care and enhance the Indigenous workforce. RESULTS: These case studies highlight Indigenous nurses provide strong leadership to influence outcomes for Indigenous Peoples. Five strategies were noted across the four countries: (1) Indigenous nationhood and reconciliation as levers for change, (2) Indigenous nursing leadership, (3) Indigenous workforce strategies, (4) Development of culturally safe practice and Indigenous models of care and (5) Indigenous nurse activism. CONCLUSIONS: In light of 2020 declared International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we assert Indigenous nurses' work must be visible to support development of strategic approaches for improving health outcomes, including resources for workforce expansion and for implementing new care models. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Curating strategies to promote Indigenous nurse leaders around the world is essential for improving models of healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.

Mapping the social determinants of substance use for pregnant-involved young Aboriginal women.

There is a dearth of knowledge about the social determinants of substance use among young pregnant-involved Indigenous women in Canada from their perspectives. As part of life history interviews, 17 young pregnant-involved Indigenous women with experiences with substances completed a participant-generated mapping activity CIRCLES (Charting Intersectional Relationships in the Context of Life Experiences with Substances). As women created their maps, they discussed how different social determinants impacted their experiences with pregnancy and substance use. The social determinants identified and used by women to explain determinants of their substance use were grouped into 10 themes: traumatic life histories; socioeconomic status; culture, identity and spirituality; shame and guilt; mental wellness; family connections; romantic and platonic relationships; strength and hope; mothering; and the intersections of determinants. We conclude that understanding the context and social determinants of substance use from a woman-informed perspective is paramount to informing effective and appropriate programs to support young Indigenous women who use substances.

Understanding the Life Histories of Pregnant-Involved Young Aboriginal Women With Substance Use Experiences in Three Canadian Cities.

Despite attention paid to substance use during pregnancy, understandings of young Aboriginal women's experiences based on their perspectives have been virtually absent in the published literature. This study's objective was to understand the life experiences of pregnant-involved young Aboriginal women with alcohol and drugs. Semi-structured interviews to gather life histories were conducted with 23 young Aboriginal women who had experiences with pregnancy, and alcohol and drug use. Transcribed interviews were analyzed for themes to describe the social and historical contexts of women's experiences and their self-representations. The findings detail women's strategies for survival, inner strength, and capacities for love, healing, and resilience. Themes included the following: intersectional identities, life histories of trauma (abuse, violence, and neglect; intergenerational trauma; separations and connections), the ever-presence of alcohol and drugs, and the highs and lows of pregnancy and mothering. The findings have implications for guiding policy and interventions for supporting women and their families.

The work process and care production in a Brazilian indigenous health service / Proceso de trabajo y producción de la atención en una institución brasileña de salud indígena / Processo de trabalho e produção do cuidado em um serviço de saúde indígena no Brasil

Objective: To understand the constitutive elements of the work process and care production in an Indigenous Health Support Service. Methods: Case study. Systematic observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted in January and February of 2012. The participants were 10 nursing professionals of an Indigenous Health Support Center, located in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. The work process was used as a conceptual and analytical category. Results: Through interpretative analysis, the data were organized into three categories. The results showed that care production was focused on procedures and guided by rigid institutional rules and bureaucracy. The prioritization of institutional rules and procedures was detrimental to the provision of person-centered care. Conclusion: The temporary employment contracts and rigid bureaucratic organization generated a tense work environment. These aspects do not maximize the efforts of the nursing staff to provide person-centered care.

Objetivo: Comprender los elementos constitutivos del proceso de trabajo y la producción de la atención en una institución de apoyo a la salud indígena. Métodos: Estudio de caso realizado en una casa de apoyo de salud indígena, en Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Fueron realizadas entrevistas semiestructuradas y la observación sistemática con 10 profesionales de enfermería. Se realizó el análisis temático, utilizando el proceso de trabajo como referencial teórico. Resultados: Emergieron tres categorías: la atención se centra en procedimientos técnicos y es guiada por burocracia y normas institucionales; hay una priorización de las normas; y procedimientos institucionales a expensas de la atención centrada en el sujeto. Conclusiones: El contrato de trabajo temporal y la organización burocrática producen un ambiente tenso en el trabajo, lo que no potencializa los esfuerzos del personal de enfermería en prestar una atención centrada al indígena.

Objetivo: Compreender os elementos constitutivos do processo de trabalho e a produção do cuidado em uma instituição de apoio à saúde indígena. Métodos: Estudo de caso. Procedeu-se observação sistemática e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 10 profissionais de enfermagem de fevereiro a janeiro de 2012 em uma Casa de Apoio à Saúde do Índio, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Realizou-se análise interpretativa, utilizando processo de trabalho como categoria conceitual e analítica. Resultados: Obteve-se três categorias. A produção do cuidado tem como foco procedimentos técnicos e normas institucionais rígidas. Há priorização de regras institucionais e procedimentos em detrimento do cuidado singularizado. Conclusões: O vínculo empregatício por contrato temporário e a organização burocrática geram um clima tenso de trabalho. Tais aspectos não potencializam os esforços dos trabalhadores em prestar o cuidado centrado na pessoa.

Stigma and Developmental Disabilities in Nursing Practice and Education.

Individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) experience stigma, discrimination, and barriers, including access to appropriate health care, that restrict their ability to be equal participants in society. In this study, underlying contexts, assumptions, and ways of acting are investigated that perpetuate inequalities and pejorative treatment toward those with disabilities. Several nurse researchers and educators suggest specific content for, or approaches to, education about DD. Critical pedagogy that employs cultural competency and a disability studies' framework to guide curriculum and course development will allow assumptions underlying common health care practices that oppress and "other" people with disabilities to be exposed and changed.