Stigma and Discrimination in an Emergency Department: Policy and practice guiding care for people who use illegal drugs

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dc.contributor.authorChandler, River J. E.
dc.contributor.supervisorMcGregor, Catherine
dc.date.accessioned2014-04-29T22:41:53Z
dc.date.available2014-04-29T22:41:53Z
dc.date.copyright2014en_US
dc.date.issued2014-04-29
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studiesen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en_US
dc.description.abstractPeople who use illegal drugs all too often experience stigma and discrimination, criminalization and marginalization in Canada. Substance use has both immediate and chronic health consequences that may require healthcare. However, people who use illegal drugs often experience difficulty accessing equitable care, and stigma has been identified as a key barrier to access. This study explores the provision of health care by nurses in an emergency department for people who use illegal drugs, and the impact of hospital policies and procedures on nurses’ capacity to provide care. The study uses data from in-depth interviews with nurses and policy leaders, and analyses policy documents discussed by nurses in the interviews. This study found that neoliberal policies that result in downsizing of social programs means that patients come to emergency departments with a broad set of health and socials needs that extend beyond what nurses can do. The study also uncovered a lack of cultural safety for Aboriginal patients seeking care. Finally, the study discovered the existence of a culture of stigma in the emergency department. The culture of stigma is transmitted and taken up through individual attitudes, relations of power, intake and treatment protocols, critical policy absences and problematic policy. This study concludes with recommendations for policy development and for future research in this area.en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0680en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0573en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0569en_US
dc.description.proquestemailheyriver@shaw.caen_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/5320
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rights.tempAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/ca/*
dc.subjectStigma & Discriminationen_US
dc.subjectIllegal Drugsen_US
dc.subjectHealth Care Policy and Practiceen_US
dc.subjectCulture of Stigmaen_US
dc.subjectStructural Violence & Social Sufferingen_US
dc.subjectHarm Reductionen_US
dc.titleStigma and Discrimination in an Emergency Department: Policy and practice guiding care for people who use illegal drugsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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