Contributor: Crystal Garvey

VNTW 2024 was a well-organized, thought-out conference. It is an event where nursing theorists and philosophers are given space to present and demonstrate scholarship through a unique epistemological lens. I appreciated how the event coordinators were intentional about creating space for researchers to present on topic areas that are not considered mainstream or to be trending in the world of scholarship and research. It was clear during my experience that the organizers stayed true to this year’s theme, ‘Theory Think Tanks for The Future’; it was refreshing to see that some presenters were sincerely interested in being change agents or challenging the status quo. Secondly, it was appreciated how the organizers intentionally created the virtual space to be engaging and interactive, especially when we had the end-of-day debrief sessions. Attendees were given space to share their ideas, engage in moments of self-reflection, and have healthy discourse on a spectrum of topics of interest.

However, it was not until the close of the conference that I had to seriously re-evaluate and reflect on whether the nursing profession is sincere to the national “call of action” regarding truth and reconciliation, anti-racism, and anti-oppressive ideologies. During the conference, I frequently observed in several sessions the centering of white social constructs and elitism centering around the works of Florence Nightingale. She was placed on a pedestal and acclaimed as the savior of nursing. This was made quite evident when I attended the presentation entitled ‘A Think Tank Approach for Health Equity in Nursing Healthcare: “Weathering-To-Joy”. The presentation was insightful, invigorating, and inspirational; it gave me the much-needed fortitude to forge ahead with my own research.

Unbeknownst to the panelists, their presentation validated and affirmed my theory and the development of my conceptual model, ‘The Student-Educator Relationship.’ This work emerged from my doctoral studies when I created and tested a theoretical model through structural equation modeling on how bullying impacts the mental health and performance of student nurses (Jardine-Garvey, 2023). Dr. Williams and her team highlighted how their work has identified that traumatic experiences impact the narrative of the clients (mind, body, spirit) and how nurses need to be intentional in understanding the traumatic experiences of clients. But as the presentation ended and the virtual floor opened up for Q and A, my joy and excitement quickly turned to a jaw-dropping moment filled with disappointment. One individual took the entire allotted Q & A time to project their beliefs about Florence Nightingale by encouraging the presenters to consider including her works in the think tank project. Failing to comprehend how Nightingales’ work aligned with a project focusing on racialized and other vulnerable populations left me perplexed. Yet, if that was not enough, it was when the individual stated that Florence Nightingale did not refuse to work with Mary Seacole, who was referred as an  “acclaimed traditional healer.”  It was at that moment I raised my virtual hand to contribute to the Q and A.

I sat at the edge of the chair, patiently waiting to have my name called to speak while I attentively listened for a response from the panelist or a member of the community. However, due to the space that was taken up, no one else got to speak (including the panelist), and just like that, the VNTW 2024 came to a close. I sat at the computer with my hand at my jaw, staring at the blank screen. Only to realize that my voice was silenced yet again. Sadly, what started off to be a fantastic presentation with excellent speakers ended on such a low note.  

As a consequence of this experience, I had to ask myself, as a nurse and as a professional, are we sincere to the call of action and mandates when addressing colonialism, oppression, anti-racism and truth and reconciliation? Across the nation, academic institutions and nursing governing bodies have signed initiatives to change their mandates and mission statements to include diversity, equity, inclusion, truth and reconciliation and anti-racism within their frameworks (American Nurses Association, n.d; Canadian Nurses Association, 2021). As a part of being accountable, we as a profession need to acknowledge that although nursing may be recognized as a caring profession, it does not negate the fact that we have a very messy and very complex history, which includes racism and the indoctrination of these colonial ideologies (Canty, 2022; De Sousa, 2022). Therefore, scholars and educators who choose to use theoretical models or conceptual frameworks that are closely tied to aspects of our dark history need to acknowledge the harm that some of these theorists have caused or the role they played in shaping some of the negative attributes that remain to exist within our profession. We also need to be reminded that it is through experiences like these that continue to perpetuate the colonial and oppressive ideologies to be maintained and to thrive within the profession.

If we as a nursing community are going to take this call to action seriously, we have to be integral to our commitment to truth and reconciliation and anti-racism. This type of work requires regular and sincere self-reflection, and a greater sense of self-awareness.  We have a duty to speak the truth and not dismiss or hide the atrocities of our history.  As a Black woman and as a nurse, when presenters and participants choose to present or discuss potentially harming ideologies and then frame them from a lens of caring and inclusivity, it is a brisk reminder that, as a nursing community, we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to paradigm-shifting, dismantling racism, and being intentional in understanding the practice of equity and inclusivity. As a consequence, we should constructively evaluate if the current methodologies being used to dismantle racism, and to create equitable and inclusive environments are effective, or are these methods that are being employed are causing more harm to the community.

Conferences are meant to be an experience of learning and sharing ideas; however, what has been observed and experienced by many racialized scholars at these events is the propagation and further normalization of the cyclical culture of elitism, bullying, and racism (Canty et al., 2023). Consequently, the voices that need to be heard, those with innovative and creative ideas, are silenced or completely ignored. This was evident during the VNTW, many of the breakout sessions; the same voices took center stage while drowning out the voices that attempted to contribute to the discourse. It is in these platforms that moderators need to be intentional in creating inclusive, safe spaces. This means they need to be acutely aware of who is in the space, actively listen, and intentionally include all voices to be heard.  

Additionally, the responsibility of paradigm-shifting and mobilizing ‘calls to action’ and holding organizations accountable should not only be on the backs of those who experience harm. Such an expectation is unrealistic and taxing. We must come together as a community and be intentional about being accountable to each other and sharing the workload. This includes taking ownership, educating each other, and actioning change that needs to happen to create safe spaces, but also to ensure and enforce policies, and to update, modify and change pedagogical approaches to be inclusive and culturally responsive (Jardine-Garvey, 2023).

By being intentional about creating space for my voice, which was silenced, I would like to circle back to Mary Seacole. I must say her name and give her the respect she deserves. Mary Seacole is internationally revered and recognized for her unwavering commitment and contribution to the profession. She served in Panama and Cuba during the cholera and yellow fever epidemics, caring for and treating community members (Carnegie, 2000; Falk-Rafel, 2022). She is recognized as a nursing scientist who engaged in research (Carnegie, 2000). She played a significant role during the Crimean War when she built and opened the “British Hotel,” where she treated and cared for injured soldiers ( Alexander & Dewjee, 1981; Falk-Rafel, 2022). Therefore, Mary Seacole is not a traditional healer; she is a nurse! She was a nursing leader, and some recognized her as a nurse practitioner (Falk-Rafel, 2022), a change agent who did not take no for an answer and did not let her negative experiences overshadow her positive ones.

Therefore, as I close, I would like to end on a positive note. I would like to remind the nursing community that for change to happen, we must be the change. We have to be intentional about creating safe, inclusive, and diverse spaces where authentic learning and discourse can occur through a truth and reconciliation and anti-racism lens. Above all, we need to give space to silent voices. Next, I would like to thank my sponsor. I am grateful to have the privilege of attending the Virtual Nursing Theory Week. It was a week of self-reflection, deep learning, and insight regarding how I can be an impactful change agent and challenge the status quo.

References

Alexander, A., & Dewjee, A. (1981). Mary Seacole. History Today, 31(45).

American Nurses Association. (n.d). Racism in Nursing. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/racism-in-nursing/

Canadian Nurses Association. (2021). Nurses commit to action against anti-Black bacism in nursing and health care. https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/blogs/cn-content/2021/11/15/nurses-commit-to-action-against-anti-black-racism

Canty, L. (2022, October).A Black nurse’s reaction to the ANA apology. Nursology. https://nursology.net/2022/10/11/10631/

Canty, L., Iradukunda, F., Valderama-Wallace, C., Shasanmi-Ellis, R., Garvey, C. (2023). What nurses of color want from nursing philosophers. Nursing Philosophy, e12423.

Carnegie, E. (2000). The path we tread (3rd ed.). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

De Sousa, I., & Varcoe, C. (2022). Centering Black feminist thought in nursing praxis. Nursing Inquiry, 29(1), e12473.

Falk-Rafel, A. (2022, April). Part II: The Nursing/Health Work of Mary Seacole: Skillful Nurse and Doctress. Nursology. (https://nursology.net/2022/04/26/part-ii-the-nursing-healing-work-of-mary-seacole-skillful-nurse-and-doctress/)

Jardine-Garvey (2023). The relationships between bullying and selected nursing student outcomes (anxiety, stress, performance) as mediated by self-efficacy: testing a theoretical model. [Doctoral Dissertation, Queen’s University]. QSpace Dissertation

Stake-Doucet, (2020, November).The racist lady with the lamp. Nursing Clio. https://nursingclio.org/2020/11/05/the-racist-lady-with-the-lamp/#footnoteref1

About Crystal Garey

Dr. Garvey’s nursing experience spans over two decades, with her primary practice areas being Emergency and Mental Health Nursing. She is an adjunct professor in a collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She teaches courses such as nursing theory, social justice, community, and mental health nursing. As an educator, she is committed to creating equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning spaces. She is an educator who cares about and supports all students, ensuring they are given the same opportunities to succeed. Her research areas include anti-bullying, anti-racism, mental health, theory development, and identifying barriers to learning with an emphasis on intersectionality. Currently, she holds elected seats as Equity and Diversity Steward, Women’s Equity Executive Board Member VP for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and Director of Education for the Joint Coalition for Addressing Needs (JCAN). As part of her scholarship and community commitment to social justice, she works closely with community members and leaders of several organizations, volunteering in various capacities and creating and mobilizing evidence-based programs about anti-bullying, trauma-informed care, anti-racism, mentorship, and mental health. Her philosophy and commitment resonate with disseminating information on various platforms. She believes that information should be shared and accessible to everyone regardless of their background or social determinants of health.