Reflective Prompts on Indigenous Health in Canada

Being able to reflect is essential to nursing practice. There are multiple ways of reflecting. In this assignment you are asked to use three reflective prompts/questions. The guiding reflective prompts/questions will help you to explore your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences surrounding Indigenous health in Canada and consider how this learning will change your nursing practice. 

An important issue that was left out in all the discussions was health among the Canadian indigenous populations. The videos describe the environmental, cultural and political issues that affect the livelihoods of the indigenous communities. For instance, the Indian act was established over a century ago to create space for European settlers to occupy indigenous lands. Since the implementation of the act, the indigenous populations have experienced a form of cultural genocide. There are arguments that the federal government intentionally puts the indigenous people in crisis, and they have no choice regarding the utilization of their lands. Government decisions have continually infringed on the rights of the populations. The government dictates the lives of indigenous people such as their language, religion, and occupations. There have been significant effects to prevent the indigenous cultures from flourishing and ensure that they lose their culture and holistic approach to live. For instance, aboriginals were forcefully sent to residential schools to prevent them from learning their language and culture which created generational trauma among indigenous people. In residential schools, the children were exposed to different manners of abuse, which demoralises a lot of indigenous people.

The social factors presented in the videos have detrimental impacts on the health outcomes of indigenous people, which has not been mentioned in the video discussions. According to Richmond & Cook (2016), the persistent growth of inequality in aboriginal health and social inequity has revealed a significant public health policy issue. The current Canadian health policy has significant inefficiencies in meeting the needs of indigenous peoples in Canada. The absence of a Canadian public health policy that supports aboriginal well-being and health is distinct. The inequalities in the social determinants of health among the indigenous population have significantly linked to increased illness and disability, which in turn represents a social determinant, which is associated to diminished opportunities to engage in gainful employment, thereby aggravating poverty. The aboriginal communities are significantly affected by a wide range of health conditions including depression, high suicide rate, respiratory disease, circulatory disease and cancer. 

Research
To understand the issue of healthcare inequalities among Indigenous populations, I conducted online research of journal articles, and videos explaining the health challenges that the populations experience. Latham, Ringl, & Hogan (2020) demonstrated that political actors play an essential role in the realization of the rights of indigenous populations. Therefore, multi-level governance, characterized by flexibility and mobility is necessary for aligning the duties and rights of the aboriginal communities and healthcare workers to appropriate, quality and safe healthcare. Lavoie (2013) explained that policies have, for long, been silent on the barriers that hinder stakeholders from addressing the healthcare needs of aboriginal populations. The existing legislation and policies targeting aboriginal peoples in Canada contain significant jurisdictional ambiguities and gaps. Cameron et al. (2014) explained that for nurses to make contributions that positively affect the equity of healthcare access among aboriginal people, they need to pay attention to the structural injustices that hinder access, such as stereotyping, stigma, and discrimination that aboriginals experience. McNally & Martin (2017) added that aboriginal Canadians experience profound disparities in their health and well-being compared to non-indigenous Canadians. The most effective strategy to promote health among indigenous Canadians is to advance health opportunities by responding to all dimensions and levels of healthcare policy and delivery. It is essential to begin by understanding the social determinants of health that are unique to indigenous people, such as racism, stereotyping and the colonialism legacy.

Change in Perspective
The reflection has allowed me to understand the concept of cultural competence in a broader perspective. Every healthcare provider, particularly nurses, needs to have the knowledge and skills required in addressing the needs of culturally diverse populations. Nurses should be at the frontline in ensuring cultural safety in healthcare. The efforts to promote cultural competency should begin in the training of the healthcare professionals while in school and also in clinical practice. Latham, Ringl, & Hogan (2020) explained that the first step to achieving cultural competence is to increase the diversity of students in healthcare professional. Increasing diversity in school enrolment is a complex issue as the students from indigenous communities experience a wide range of academic, socialization and financial challenges. Holistic interventions need to be established to promote health equity among indigenous people. Holistic wellness is believed to lead to better long-term results, not just for promoting health and wellness, also for showing respect and appreciation of cultural values of indigenous people.

1. What is the relationship between colonisation of indigenous people and intergenerational Trauma seen among indigenous people in Canada today.

2. What research were you able to find to help you understand the questions 1or interests you did not talk about? (i.e. personal experience, media, family, stigma, etc.)? 

3. What change in perspective did this have/not have? Why is this important to or how might this impact your nursing practice?