Spirituality and Self-Reclamation: A Response to Nursing on the Margins of the Profession

This paper focuses on spirituality and religious faith as a significant resource in the lives of Black nurses in a Nova Scotia, Canada. It argues that as a valuable source of self-identity and meaning-making, spirituality merits serious consideration in nursing research. This treatment of the subject brings together current attention to the work-life experiences of minority nurses in Canada’s healthcare system and new interest in spirituality as inherent to nursing care. Validating the spiritual strength and sensitivity expressed by the Black nurses would both allow the nurses to be wholly themselves as nurses, and make that strength and sensitivity available to a healthcare system that has need of them. It might be possible to bring both minority group nurses and spirituality back from the margins of the nursing profession

Leadership and System Transformation: Advancing the Role of Community Health Nursing

It is widely recognized that structural and social determinants of health (SDoH) account for a large proportion of health inequities in Canada. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), many health actors are required to provide leadership and direction in tackling health inequities. In this paper we argue that community health nurses (CHNs) are well situated to play a critical role in health system transformation in Canada. CHNs are known for having a holistic and collaborative approach with competencies beneficial for the reduction of health inequities. However, to become more consistently effective advocates of health equity, CHNs require competencies in the principles of equity and social justice, community engagement, communication, coalition building, and system transformation. Having a critical mass of CHNs with appropriate leadership skills in knowledge generation and mobilization, advocacy, and collaboration is fundamental to effectively addressing health inequities in Canada

Assessing the Relationship between Caregivers Burden and Availability of Support for Family Caregivers’ of HIV/AIDS Patients in Calabar, South East Nigeria

Purpose: This study examined the level of burden and the extent of support on family caregivers of people living with AIDS (PLWHA) in Calabar, South East Nigeria. Methods: A mixed method with cross sectional approach was used. Purposive sampling technique guided the recruitment process and data collection methods included, semi-structured questionnaires and focusing group discussion. 260 respondents participated in the study. The quantitative data were mined with the aid of SPSS and the qualitative data were analysed with the aid of NVivo8 using thematic analysis. Results: Results indicated high level of burden with limited support to caregivers. A Chi-square value of 25.1 was obtained at P \u3c 0.05, suggesting a significant relationship between availability of support and caregivers burden. This relationship was supported by the themes of physical, social, emotional and financial burden for the caregivers. Similarly, information on coping skills, emotional support, financialassistance and help with caregiving themes emerged for social support. Conclusion: In Nigeria, the burden of caring for HIV/AIDS patients has a remarkable impact on family caregivers. This calls for the development of policies that can systematically address the needs of family caregivers in order to ameliorate the negative consequences of caregiving for PLWHA

Safe Motherhood Training for Rural Health Care Workers in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

Maternal mortality remains a challenge in developing countries which bear 99% of global maternal deaths (WHO, 2014). Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Ethiopia carry more than 50% of the global burden of maternal mortality. According to the UNDP Human Development Report (2014), Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio of 630 per 100,000 live births ranks among the highest in Africa. Two countries accounted for one third of all global maternal deaths: India at 17% (50 000) and Nigeria at 14% (40 000) (WHO, 2014).. Archibong and Aghan (2010) found that hospital based maternal mortality ratio in Cross River state was 1,513.4per 100,000 live births [1]. Also a glaring disparity exists between MMR in rural and urban areas. These poor health indices portray a challenge to Nigeria’s efforts to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG), a cause for concern, considering that the terminal MDG year is 2015.Skilled care before, during and after childbirth has been advocated as a panacea to save the lives of women and newborn babies [2]. Studies have shown that health care providers often lack the knowledge and skills necessary for them to practice safe motherhood, including ability to recognize high risk pregnancies and danger signs during labour and childbirth, and to make appropriate and timely referral [3,4]. Simple cost-effective measures in reducing maternal and child mortality include, evidencebased continuing education programs for health care providers already in the system such as safe motherhood programs and child survival strategies amongst others. However, these interventions are often instituted mostly in Nigeria urban centres with negligible participation by health care providers in the rural areas whom may need these kinds of training the most. Our project addressed this challenge through the delivery of a modified WHO [5,6] Safe motherhood training to a group of health workers from rural areas of one of Nigerian South Eastern state (i.e. Cross River State). The main aim of project was to build the capacity of frontline community health care workers like nurses, midwives and community health extension workers for the delivery of effective evidence-based maternal and newborn health care in rural areas. Specific objectives included, increasing health care providers’ knowledge, and safe and competent maternal of safe and competent maternal, newborn and child health care. This was accomplished in a two-day-workshop facilitated by MNCH specialists; nurses, midwives, and physicians. Our project team was also represented these disciplines. Pre and post-test were used to evaluate the impact of our interventions on these healthcare providers’ knowledge

Assessing Women Caregiving Role to People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, West Africa

HIV/AIDS scourge remains high in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa such as Nigeria, which is home to about 3.3 million HIV positive individuals and represents the second largest burden of HIV/AIDS care, treatment and demand worldwide after South Africa. Anti-retroviral treatment options though a welcome development, has increased the number of people living with this chronic illness, and most of them depend on family members for physical and emotional support. Traditional gender norms in Nigeria ensure that legitimately, women and girls are the first options for caregiving roles. This mandatory role has in turn imposed psychosocial disruption in the lives of female family members in Calabar, Nigeria. This descriptive study utilized convenient sampling technique, Zarit Burden Interview scale and semistructured questionnaires for data collection (260 respondents), and data analyses were achieved using SPSS16.0. The study showed that a significant (p \u3c .05) proportion of women (91%) were involved in providing care, including children from 10 years and above. Caregivers had minimal social support which increased the burden they experienced. The need for policy that recognizes and supports female caregivers (“silent cornerstone”) to reduce burden and ensure high quality care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nigeria is advocated

Nurses\u27 Involvement in HIV Policy Formulation in Nigerian Health Care System

Background of study: Nigerian national policy on HIV stresses the need for the adoption of multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach in policy formulation, with the health sector taking the lead. This calls for collaboration among the various stakeholders including nurses in policy development initiatives to ensure that diverse health care needs and disciplinary perspectives are captured in HIV health policies. Purpose: This paper will present the findings of a recent study which examined nurse’s involvement in policy development in the context of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in Nigeria. Methodology: A qualitative case study design under the guiding tenets of critical social and power theories. The research is a single case study of one state with embedded units. Thirty nurse-leaders from the various embedded units were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling technique. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and document reviews were used for data collection. Focus group discussions were used as a form of member-checking and also to generate data. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: This paper focuses on the major themes that emerged from the study as well as highlight specific interplay of power dynamics in the health care system which hinders nurse’s involvement in policy formulation. Conclusion: The paper concludes with some of the lessons learnt in the study and proffer suggestions for effective integration of nurses into policy arena. It suggests the need for a broad-based educational curriculum which will incorporate strategies to build nurses capacity for leadership and policy development in nursing training schools

Fear of HIV Susceptibility Influencing Burden of Care among Nurses in South-East Nigeria

HIV/AIDS currently is a major cause of disability and mortality especially in sub-Saharan Africa. As the population affected by HIV/AIDS increases, so does the burden of this chronic disease and the challenges associated with caring. HIV scourge in Nigeria has been overwhelming since 1992 with debilitating impacts and this study presents the extent of fear of susceptibility and the level of caregivers burden among Nigerian nurses. To direct the study, three special objectives and one hypothesis were raised, which were to determine the extent of fear of susceptibility and perceived seriousness of HIV, to ascertain the percentage of nurses who tested to know their HIV status and the associated level of caregivers burden among nurses. The study also determined the relationship between fear of susceptibility and caregiver’s burden. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 210 nurses caring for people living with HIV/AIDS in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires and relevant validated scales such as Zarit Burden Interview [1] and abridged Champion Health Belief Model Scale [2] were used to elicit data. Results revealed that the majority of 41.0% respondents nursed fear of susceptibility despite the practice of universal precaution and perceived HIV as a serious and life threatening infection, 36.0% were not sure of their experience and 23% had no fear of HIV. 33.8% respondents experienced mild to moderate level of burden, 27.2% respondents experienced moderate to severe level of burden while 15.7% experienced severe burden. A Chi Square value of 68.2 at P \u3c 0.05 was obtained showing a significant relationship between fear of susceptibility and caregivers burden. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for nursing and health care and recommends the implementation of educational opportunities to allay fears and minimize caregiver burden among nurses and other health care professionals

“Leaving no one behind”: COVID-19 Response in Black Canadian Communities

Despite the universal healthcare system in Canada, Canadians of African Descent (CAD) still face numerous problems that place them at higher risk to pandemics such as COVID-19. From the struggles of working as frontline workers, to challenges compounded by pre-existing chronic medical conditions such as Diabetes, CAD may face unique issues, further weighing on their existing and potential health outcomes. This situation calls for closer attention to the specific needs of CAD who may be at greater risk of late diagnosis and delayed treatment for COVID-19. Historically, marginalized communities such as CAD must be included in healthcare considerations and planning, so as to avoid further leaving them behind during and after the storm. Past evidence has shown that structural inequities shape who is affected by disease and its economic fallout. Therefore, the unique needs of CAD must be considered in healthcare planning with the ongoing COVID-19 response. Keywords: pandemic, marginalized, healthcare, COVID-19, Canadians of African Descen