“Come here, let’s take care of you”: Indigenous nurse wellness and intergenerational mentorship with/in community
| dc.contributor.author | Chakanyuka, Christina Marie | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Bourque Bearskin, Lisa | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Pauly, Bernie | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-06-02T20:23:20Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-06-02T20:23:20Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.degree.department | School of Nursing | |
| dc.degree.level | Doctor of Philosophy PhD | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study examines how intergenerational Indigenous nurse mentorship and traditional wellness practices strengthen Indigenous nurse identity, belonging, knowledge, and wellness. Indigenous nurses—including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis—hold a unique role in drawing from both their nursing knowledge and lived experiences as Indigenous Peoples to co-create culturally safe environments that foster healing through respectful and trusting relationships. Despite ongoing recruitment and retention initiatives, Indigenous nurses continue to face systemic racism in nursing education and remain underrepresented in health care systems. This research responds to calls to address the distinct health needs of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, while affirming the rights of Indigenous nurses to self-determine wellness, mentorship, and professional development within their own communities and Nations. Guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies, this study engaged eight Indigenous nurses through visiting and circling practices to generate an evidence base for sustainable, relational strategies that protect and promote Indigenous nurse wellness and mentorship. Grounded in the principle of “nothing for us – without us,” the findings highlight the power of relational accountability and affirm Indigenous nurses’ self-determining role in co-creating retention and wellness strategies grounded in traditional knowledge. This study underscores the importance of (w)holistic approaches that integrate Indigeneity, relationality, Indigenous Knowledges, nursing praxis, and traditional wellness practices to create culturally safe health care experiences. The findings provide strategic imperatives for advancing intergenerational Indigenous nurse mentorship in nursing education, while emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual, community, and environmental well-being. | |
| dc.description.embargo | 2026-03-26 | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22328 | |
| dc.language | English | eng |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | |
| dc.subject | Intergenerational | |
| dc.subject | Indigenous | |
| dc.subject | Nurse | |
| dc.subject | Mentorship | |
| dc.subject | Wellness | |
| dc.subject | Métis | |
| dc.subject | Community | |
| dc.title | “Come here, let’s take care of you”: Indigenous nurse wellness and intergenerational mentorship with/in community | |
| dc.type | Thesis |