By Tina Revai (masters student)
As a public health nurse (PHN) returning to university, my goal is to acquire knowledge and skills that will influence systems change that
supports public health nursing practice orientated to the promotion of social justice. Specifically, I want to examine how PHNs navigate
their ethical experiences as they work towards social justice. I wasn’t exactly sure how to achieve these aims, but what was certain was
that by entering graduate school, I was embarking on a new journey.
Before entering the Masters program, I looked at the faculty biographies and read some of their articles. This gave me a sense of where there might be shared interests. I had previously read Dr. Bernie Pauly’s work in relation to harm reduction. In fact, her theoretical concepts were used in our program to guide how we work in my community, Port Alberni. Additionally, before entering school, I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Pauly and learn about the Equity Lens in Public Health (ELPH) project.
While still at orientation for program, I contacted Dr. Pauly with the hope she would be able to provide advice around my own research
interests in ethics, social justice, and public health. That was when I learned more about the ELPH project led by herself and Drs. Marjorie MacDonald and Trevor Hancock. I discovered the team was about to start on a grounded theory to examine ethical issues experienced by public health practitioners related to reducing health inequities in mental health promotion and prevention of harms of substance use. This seems like a fit with my own research interests, so I was eager to become involved. I asked to join the team, comprised of Drs. Marjorie MacDonald, Bernadette Pauly, Lenora Marcellus, Wanda Martin, and Research Coordinator Diane Allan, and soon became a research assistant for the project. It is a privilege to be a part of the discussions as we work through the epistemological, methodological, and ethical issues of research. I come away inspired to learn more about concepts such as social inequities vs. health inequities and symbolic interactionism.
As part of a team within a larger project, I’ve witnessed the level of organization and skill that the Principal Investigators require to communicate the vision and purpose to a large and interdisciplinary team. More specifically, I have had the chance to learn how to recruit participants, conduct qualitative research interviews, and code data using NVivo software. Best of all, I am honing my literature searching and writing skills.
To be honest, I sometimes feel vulnerable embarking on a journey where it is unclear how things will unfold and having my goals as my only guide. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, what I’ve learned is how much I still need to learn. However, my understanding and knowledge of research has increased tremendously and I am confident this has strengthened my ability to incorporate an evidence informed, social justice lens into public health practice. For this I am grateful.
From the 2015 Fall Communiqué — Public Health
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