Reconcili-Action Begins With Education: Graduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives of an Experiential Exercise About the History of Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Abstract

Background: In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called for nursing schools to require all students to complete a course about the history and legacy of the residential school systems and the ongoing impacts of colonialism on survivors and their families. To address this call, we reviewed the graduate nursing curriculum at a Western Canadian university and noted the need to facilitate graduate nursing students’ understanding of the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. As future advanced practice nurses, graduate nursing students play a pivotal role in reconciliation and improving the health of Indigenous Peoples by working collaboratively with patients, students, colleagues, leaders, and policymakers.

Methods: Two 3-hour Turtle Island Project experiential exercises were offered to all graduate nursing students at a Western Canadian university to raise awareness and increase the understanding of the historical context shaping the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous people. Immediately following the exercise, an anonymous paper-based survey was conducted to evaluate the experiential exercise and invited participants to reflect on strategies to engage in reconciliation as future advanced practice nurses. Data was collected from 21 participants and analyzed using quantitative measures for closed questions and thematic analysis for narrative responses to open-ended questions.

Results: The findings support experiential and intergenerational learning and sharing circles as a guiding framework to implement Indigenous content in graduate nursing curricula. All participants strongly endorsed that the experiential exercise was useful, and 90% of participants highly rated its impact on their future practice. The overarching theme of the thematic analysis, “heart and mind,” exemplified the participants’ shared experiences. Participants gained a deeper cognitive and emotional understanding through role-playing and reflection in a sharing circle.

Conclusion: Survey results provided evidence for educators, administrators, and institutions to partner with Indigenous communities, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to implement Indigenous experiential exercises and sharing circles in all nursing programs. The experiential exercise, intergenerational learning, and the sharing circle as a learning approach may ensure that the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #24 is honoured. Current and future health care professionals must fully understand the impact of colonial history and their role in sustaining whiteness. In addition, they must understand and respect Indigenous worldviews, ways of knowing, knowledge, and practices about health to promote culturally safe nursing practice in partnership with Indigenous Peoples worldwide.