Christina Chakanyuka

Topic

“Come here, let’s take care of you”: Indigenous Nurse Wellness and Intergenerational Mentorship with/in Community

School of Nursing

Date & location

• Monday, May 12, 2025
• 1:00 P.M.
• Virtual Defence

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Lisa Bourque Bearskin, School of Nursing, University of Victoria (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Bernie Pauly, School of Nursing, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Brenda Mishak, School of Nursing, UVic (Member)
• Dr. Holly Graham, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan (Outside Member)

External Examiner

• Dr. Lois Edge, School of Continuing Education, MacEwan University

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Ben Nadler, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UVic

Abstract

This study examines how intergenerational Indigenous nurse mentorship and traditional wellness practices strengthen Indigenous nurse identity, belonging, knowledge, and wellness. Indigenous nurses hold a unique role in leveraging their lived experiences to co-create culturally safe environments that foster healing through respectful and trusting relationships. Despite ongoing recruitment and retention efforts, Indigenous nurses continue to face systemic racism in nursing academia and remain underrepresented in healthcare settings. This research responds to calls for Indigenous nurses—including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis—to address the distinct health needs of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Centering Indigenous nurses as a distinct community-group, this study positions intergenerationality and traditional wellness practices as key to sustaining Indigenous healthcare providers' well-being.

Guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies, this study engaged eight Indigenous nurses through visiting and circling activities to generate an evidence base for sustainable strategies that protect and promote Indigenous nurse wellness mentorship. Empowered by the principle of "nothing for us – without us," findings affirm the rights of Indigenous nurses to self-determine wellness and co-create retention strategies within their home communities. The results emphasize the need for systemic change, highlighting the significance of intergenerational mentorship in fostering Indigenous nursing wellness knowledge and contributing to intergenerational healing.

This study underscores the importance of (w)holistic approaches that integrate Indigeneity, relationality, Indigenous Knowledges, nursing praxis, and traditional wellness to create culturally safe healthcare experiences. The findings provide strategic imperatives for advancing intergenerational Indigenous nurse mentorship within nursing education, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual, community, and environmental well-being.