Creating a Reciprocal Relationship to Foster Well-Being and Critical Consciousness

Sunday, 28 July 2019

Colleen Maykut, DNP, RN
Department of Nursing Science, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Andrew Lee, MN, RN
Westlawn Public Health Centre, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Nelson Garcia Argueta, BScN, RN
Emergency, Covenant Health – Misericordia Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Purpose: Nurses have a privileged opportunity of making a unique difference in fostering well-being for members of society. As a collective we have the necessary education and access to a plethora of resources to enact excellence in service by identifying and addressing structural and political inequities. As nurses we must embrace diversity and equity whilst grounding our practice in inclusivity - challenging all forms of oppression detrimental to wellbeing (Kagan, Smith, Cowling & Chinn, 2009). This ethical responsibility which nurses must champion, is reflected both in Sigma’s (2017) Presidential Calls to Action as well as the International Council of Nurse’s (ICN)’s position statement on human rights (ICN, 2011). Chi Nu (Sigma, Chapter 515) places specific emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) (United Nations, n.d.) as part of their service mandate.

Methods: Narrative Analysis

Results:

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3 - Fostering Well being

Although mental health challenges affect 20% of adolescents in Canada (Mcluckie, Kutcher, Wei & Weaver, 2014) financial resources are not allocated to ensure successful programming is developed to foster wellbeing. Unfortunately, in Alberta, Canada the provincial budget of 22.1 Billion only has 87 Million dollars assigned to mental health and addictions or 3.9% of the overall budget (Alberta Health, 2018) to meet the needs across the lifespan, including adolescents - of whom 148 were counted as homeless (Homeward Trust, 2017). Non-profit organizations whose mission is to facilitate wellbeing for adolescents often struggle with limited monies from provincial government agencies relying on funds from the public to sustain programming. Ensuring good health and fostering wellbeing (UN SDGs Goal #3) is exemplified by supporting non-profit organizations in providing necessities of need to maintain health (e.g. clothing, toiletries, etc.).

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 - Inclusive and Sustainable Communities

In Canada, youth (ages 13-24) make up approximately 20% of the homeless population (Gaetz et al., 2014). To prevent youth from facing ongoing hardship such as homelessness, partnership with experienced community-based service providers is essential to transform the system for these youth at risk to develop life skills (Gaetz, O’Grady, Kidd and Schwan, 2016, p.13). There are several organizations that support the inner-city population within Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, host to a growing population of 1,321,426 on last count (Government of Canada, 2017). Since inception Chi Nu has liaised with a number of these organizations to better understand their cause, aims and needs. Exploring longer-term partnerships with currently established organizations within the City of Edmonton which focus on the advocation and support of adequate and safe housing for high-risk youth is reflective of promoting sustainable and inclusive communities (UN SDGs Goal #11). One particular area of developed interest in is with the youth at risk and exploring partnerships with those organizations whose goal is to connect these youth to resources aimed at offering them a chance to succeed in life.

Conclusion: Nurses must incorporate cultural safety (Yeung, 2016) as a foundational premise when creating partnerships with health/community agencies. Cultural safety is more than awareness and appreciation - recognizing the power inequities which occur between healthcare professionals and clients. Therefore, intentionality needs to be a foundational principle in determining and approaching community partnerships - embracing a critical consciousness perspective provides awareness of privilege and structural power. Questions incorporating cultural safety grounded in critical consciousness (Freire, 1974/2007) will be explored as a framework to developing reciprocal community relationships which are mutually beneficial in an existing partnership. Thus, for Chi Nu to develop interprofessional local collaborative relationship between future agencies, health providers and clients, the notion of cultural safety with the principle of intentionality must be considered to successfully achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.