Exploring Collaboration and Building Community Organization Capacity for Population Health Promotion in an Inner-City Neighbourhood

Community organizations are essential to inner-city neighbourhoods. They have a fundamental role to play in promoting the health and social well-being of community members. However, it is not well known how these organizations work together and within their community to promote health equity and social justice. The goal of this study was to make visible the connections, collaboration, and linkages existing between two organizations and to disseminate the results from the study to both the service and academic communities to further the growth of research on this topic.Funded by the University of Manitoba, Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, Research Grants Progra

Remembering Dr. Benita Cohen: A tribute to a life well-lived

To honor the legacy of Dr. Benita Cohen, this special volume of Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourses is dedicated in remembrance of her. This Invited Commentary reflects on Benita’s career, passions, personality and key contributions to public health and  nursing. Dr. Cohen was an exceptional nurse, researcher, educator, mentor, and health policy consultant. Her vision has shaped the fields of public health and community health nursing, and her impact will be felt for many generations to come.

I Can\u27t Imagine My Life Without It! Curling and Health Promotion: A Photovoice Study

The sport of curling is an important activity in rural Canada, with many female participants. The health of women in rural Canada is much compromised compared to that of their urban counterparts, yet little research has explored ways to promote the health of rural women. This study examined the influence of curling on the health of women in rural Canada. A sample of 15 women and girls aged 12 to 72 from 2 communities in southwestern Ontario took pictures, kept logbooks, and participated in 2 group sessions to discuss the influence of curling on their health. The findings reveal that curling facilitates social connections, enhances physical and mental health, and provides a valued and visible way to support rural life. Clearly, curling promotes the health and community life of rural women in significant ways. More support for curling in rural settings is needed, and additional research on the topic of curling and the health of rural women is indicated. Le curling est un sport très pratiqué dans les campagnes canadiennes, et nombre de femmes s\u27y adonnent. La santé des femmes en région rurale est plus à risque, comparativement à celle des femmes en milieu urbain, mais peu d\u27études se sont penchées sur les façons de promouvoir la santé de cette population. Cette étude examine l\u27influence du curling sur la santé des femmes des collectivités rurales. Un échantillonnage de 15 femmes et filles âgées de 12 à 72 ans et vivant dans deux communautés du sud-ouest de l\u27Ontario ont pris des photos, tenu un journal de bord et participé à deux rencontres en groupe pour discuter des effets du curling sur leur santé. Les résultats indiquent que le curling facilite les liens sociaux, améliore la santé physique et mentale, et constitue un soutien reconnu et visible en milieu rural. De toute évidence, le curling favorise, de façon significative, la santé et la vie collective des femmes de ce milieu. Il faudrait donc promouvoir davantage cette activité dans les collectivités rurales et étudier plus en profondeur la question du curling et de la santé des femmes dans ces communautés

Enlivening a Community of Authentic Scholarship

Background: Critical and engaged qualitative scholarship depends on high-quality graduate training. The need to reexamine graduate student mentorship has become particularly pressing, given the high level of mental health distress experienced by students. It is unclear whether mentorship emerging within the student–advisor relationship is sufficient to ensure comprehensive mentorship. Innovative, experiential pedagogical approaches that integrate emotional and intellectual aspects are limited but may play a vital role in mentorship. There is a critical need to develop and study creative mentorship initiatives for emerging qualitative scholars. Methods: This study used interpretive description methodology and a community of practice theoretical framework to describe a faculty-mentored experience for graduate nursing students at the 2016 Qualitative Health Research Conference (FM-QHR) hosted by the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology. Participants completed written journals elucidating their experiences throughout FM-QHR. The textual data were analyzed using a constant comparative group analysis process, leading to the development of salient and interconnected themes. Results: Six graduate students and four faculty mentors submitted journals. Three interrelated themes articulate how this FM-QHR initiative enlivened a community of authentic scholarship: Questioning the Academic Self: Unvoiced Experiences of Angst, Uncertainty, and Fear ; Cocreating Authentic Community through Shared Vulnerability ; and Generative and Emergent Empowerment . Conclusion: These findings provide compelling insights into the importance of assisting students to navigate the emotional experiences that are a part of qualitative graduate training. Relational, mentorship initiatives hold potential to not only alleviate emotional distress but also support student empowerment, socialization, and entrance into a community of international qualitative researchers