Islamophobia in Canadian Nursing: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study

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dc.contributor.advisorJackson, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorUpal, Zahra
dc.contributor.committeememberRankin, Janet
dc.contributor.committeememberGinn, Carla
dc.date2025-06
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-10T16:03:38Z
dc.date.available2025-02-10T16:03:38Z
dc.date.issued2025-01-08
dc.description.abstractMuslim Nurses in Canada are experiencing Islamophobia in the workplace as well as in educational institutions. These experiences result in increased mental distress for these nurses, social isolation at the workplace, and considerations of leaving the nursing profession. This thesis explores the experiences of Islamophobia for Registered Nurses who wear the hijab at work in Canada. This study is grounded in Critical Race Theory and aims to answer the following research question: What are the experiences of Islamophobia for female Canadian Registered Nurses who wear the hijab? A total of six participants were interviewed, and the results were analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. Muslim nurses’ experiences were characterized by their sense of belonging. Key findings consist of the experiences of Islamophobia being related to the negative stereotypical identity of what it means to be a Muslim woman being associated with these nurses, how they discover their own identity as nurses and finally, how they reconcile their personal and social identities as Muslim women with their identity as Registered Nurses. This study adds to the literature on this topic by uncovering the internal process of self-discovery that Muslim nurses go through after experiencing Islamophobia through being assigned an identity. This process helps them to discover their own identities as well as reconcile what it means to them to be Muslim nurses, thus allowing them to be able to practice comfortably at the workplace. Recommendations of this study are that policy changes should be enacted which protect Muslim nurses and work to reduce the normalization of Islamophobia and the prejudiced beliefs about Muslims in the nursing profession to prevent incidents of Islamophobia. Secondly, more education needs be provided to nursing students as well as staff regarding anti-racism and Islamophobia to encourage the creation of supportive nursing places. Finally, more support needs to be provided to Muslim nurses who are experiencing Islamophobia at the workplace.
dc.identifier.citationUpal, Z. (2025). Islamophobia in Canadian nursing: an interpretive phenomenological study (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/120751
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectIslamophobia
dc.subjectIslamophobia in Nursing
dc.subjectHijab and Nursing
dc.subjectMuslim Nurses
dc.subjectInterpretative phenomenological analysis
dc.subjectracism
dc.subject.classificationNursing
dc.titleIslamophobia in Canadian Nursing: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineNursing
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Nursing (MN)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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