Beyond "Meeting Them Where They Are At" : How Nursing Students Conceptualize Harm Reduction In Their Practice With People Who Use Drugs
Date
2022-01-04
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Abstract
This thesis presents findings from a qualitative study that explored how final year nursing students conceptualized harm reduction as a part of their practice with people who use drugs. The research was conducted using a critical social theory lens informed by the work of Habermas (1972; 1984). Data were collected in semi-structured interviews with 11 undergraduate nursing students from a western Canadian university. Data analysis was undertaken using the thematic analysis method developed by Braun and Clarke (2006). Three themes and nine sub-themes demonstrate the complex influences involved in the conceptualization of harm reduction among the participants. Participants expressed that harm reduction was congruent with nursing practice and that conceptually, harm reduction was inherent to their understanding of the profession. While participants seemed to have integrated the concept of harm reduction with their practice, their diverse experiences and identities influenced their perspectives. Contextually, these perspectives caused continued tensions for participants as they navigated questions about drug use stigma, the nature of drug use, the scope of the nurse, and the real-world application of their nursing education. These interconnected influences occurred against a backdrop of critical societal and systemic issues. Participants were negotiating oppressive systems and systemic norms, which affected their perspectives towards harm reduction and the care of people who use drugs. Participants enthusiastically perceived nurses as capable advocates and agents of change, yet they focused on individual contributions and abilities rather than collective efforts and progress. This study’s findings, reflected in four recommendations, contribute to the evidence required for educators to critically explore and prioritize educational approaches that support HR as nursing practice.
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harm reduction, nursing education, illegal drug use, social care, undergraduate nurses, social justice, drug policy, drug addiction, substance use
Citation
Denis-Lalonde, D. B. (2022). Beyond "Meeting Them Where They Are At": How Nursing Students Conceptualize Harm Reduction In Their Practice With People Who Use Drugs (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.