CPR Racism: A guide for health care providers to address racism in health care

Session description

Racism is a form of violence that results in poorer health outcomes for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Peoples and is a barrier toward achieving equitable healthcare. There is a growing recognition that FNMI Peoples experience racism in health care and with the highly publicized deaths of Brian Sinclair and, more recently, the death of Joyce Echaquan in Canada, there has been an outcry to end racism in health care. With the growing numbers of nurses and nursing students learning about the impact of racism on health outcomes there is a need for a concrete, practical, and visual guide to assist with teaching an intervention for when racism is witnessed. As part of creating and supporting a speak-up culture to address unsafe care related to racism in health care, the writer offers the following guide – CPR RACISM. The writer selected the name of this guide, CPR RACISM, to underscore the urgency to address racism in health care as FNMI Peoples’ lives are at risk. CPR RACISM is an additional resource to disrupt and dismantle racism in health care.

Speaker

Dr. Holly Graham is a member of the Thunderchild First Nation, SK. She has worked as a Registered Nurse (RN) in northern communities and various other health care environments since 1985. Currently, Holly is an Associated Professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan. She also maintains an active practice as a Registered Doctoral Psychologist, working primarily with individuals who have experience trauma and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Holly’s research is strength-based with a focus on Indigenous health, mental health, and wellness.