As nurses, Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) is a foundational concept in our education and practice. We apply the standards of this practice to all of our clients, regardless of race, culture & ethnicity. I think it’s also important to apply this approach with Indigenous nursing students.
The BC Government website (n.d) defines TIP as: “…a strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. It emphasises physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone, and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment”.
While this approach is used in nursing practice, it also applies to Indigenous nursing students and should be considered when designing any nursing curriculum to support student success while recognizing the impact of trauma, including intergenerational trauma.
Here is a brief overview of how TIP can be applied in education.
There is also a guide available from the website, published in 2017, to assist practitioners working with youth and families. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/child-teen-mental-health/trauma-informed_practice_guide.pdf
Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Trauma informed practice (TIP) resources. Https://Www2.Gov.Bc.ca/Gov. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/child-teen-mental-health/trauma-informed-practice-resources
Great share Deborah. I agree wholeheartedly that trauma enforced practices “do creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment”. It resonated with me when the speaker on the video shared his views on differenct educational practices, like land-based learning. I feel that land-based learning is something all the educational institutions that do not follow through on, are really missing out…a few weeks ago I was driving past the Langara College campus and I saw students performing CPR out on gurneys in the middle of the field, and I remember thinking, I wish we were learning outside like that when I attended! It was nice to see that there are more gradual changes and flexibility on the ways we are learning.
Yes! I think more of this is needed. On our last ‘clinical’ day (most nursing schools have a practice component where a group of students are placed on a unit/health centre, etc. for a term) at a Community Health Centre in Vancouver, all 8 students and I sat in the local park a block away to have our post conference group discussion. It was so nice to sit on the grass with our shoes off (no uniforms/scrubs in community health/home care 🙂 and just have a discussion. I think we need to do more of that (weather permitting, of course).
Absolutely 🙂