Projects
Current
The Meaning and Impact of Community
This project is a community partnership endeavour with the Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society (VPWAS). Drawing from the findings of our previous studies that highlight the importance of human connection to the psychological well-being (PWB) of older gay men, amidst the notable dearth of reference to the term community, we are working with VPWAS to co-develop understandings of the meaning and impact of community and community engagement for older gay men. Community has great relevance for older gay men who endure(d) a nexus of barriers to PWB including historical and ongoing discrimination, and the collective trauma of HIV AIDS for which collective support and mobilization have been key protective processes. We will advance understandings of community and the forces that support and impede community engagement in the context of aging post COVID-19 by eliciting “kitchen table wisdom” through group conversations with older, gay men across southwestern British Columbia.
Contemporary Constructions of Allyship in Health Care Settings: A Scoping Review
This project, a scoping review of the literature pertaining to the the term allyship in relation to 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in health contexts, is motivated by recognition that many 2SLGBTQ+ people experience health inequities rooted in discrimination. Activism to redress this discrimination in health settings is frequently termed allyship; however, definitions of allyship remain ambiguous. A clearer understanding of how allyship is defined and operationalized within health settings is integral to supporting the health of LGBTQ2S+ individuals. This project is a joint initiative of UVic researchers across Schools to better understand how allyship is defined in the literature specific to LGBTQ+ individuals within health settings. By gaining a clearer undertstanding of the meaning of allyship, we can more effectively determine the expectations for health providers in supporting the health and wellness of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.
2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse
This project explores the impact of an Island Health 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse on queer and trans people’s experiences of health care, including willingness to seek care in the future. Utilizing mixed methods, our team is collecting survey and interview data to capture community members’ experiences of engaging with a 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse and better understand their health care needs. As this Liaison Nurse role is the first of its kind, pilot data will be utilized to inform expansion of this position to other health authorities within British Columbia. We are additionally conducting a scoping review to examine the current literature on other similar roles within the health care system for serving 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
Nursing Student's Experiences of Discrimination
This study aims to examine nursing students’ experiences of discrimination within their programs, across undergraduate and graduate education. Utilizing mixed methods, we engaged students, faculty, and staff in a survey exploring topics of both experiencing and witnessing discrimination, as well as respondents’ perspectives on responding to discrimination. Subsequent interviews explored these topics in greater depth, with a particular focus on strategies for redressing discrimination across clinical, classroom, and administrative contexts.
Discipline within Nursing Regulation
This project is a discourse analysis of Consent Agreements and Hearings documents inquires into the processes and consequences of disciplinary action within nursing regulation. In particular, we are examining how discipline is enacted against nurses who use substances, and conducting an analysis that explores current tensions inherent to ‘regulating’ stigma and discrimination within the profession.
Projects
Completed
A Qualitative Exploration of how Older, Gay Men Cultivate Psychological Well-Being (PWB)
Drawing on findings from our project that focused on quality of life (QOL) and older gay men, we developed a study specific to exploring how older gay men cultivate psychological well-being (PWB). Specifically, we were bewildered and motivated by the overhwhelming reference to gratitude in the above study, despite men having endured tremendous adversity. Consideration of PWB amongst older gay men warrants attention due to recognition of unique contextual circumstances including historical and ongoing discrimination, living through traumas related to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the challenges associated with aging that present barriers to PWB. As such, there is a growing body of knowledge that has considered how older gay men cultivate PWB given these challenges; however, there remains a notable dearth of qualitative literature. This study drew on tenets of constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to explore how older gay men promote PWB in the context of historical and ongoing adversity. Twenty-six gay men aged 50+ living in Canada took part in semi-structured individual Zoom interviews. Findings identified key processes that detail how older gay men promote PWB amidst contexts of intersecting systems of oppression, interlocking social and structural elements, and maturation including fostering relationships of authenticity and depth, maintaining purpose, and engaging calm. These insights shed light on how men mitigate the harms of interpersonal, structural, and HIV/AIDS-driven discrimination, along with the benefits to PWB derived from supporting others and engaging in deliberate self-care strategies. Findings can support and inform service delivery and contextually relevant appropriate resource development to promote the PWB of older gay men.
Examining the Influence of Pre-HAART Experiences on Older, Self-Identifying Gay Men's Contemporary Constructions of Quality of Life (QOL) and Health: A Canadian Perspective
This project was situated in recognition that some older gay men (50+) experience diminished quality of life (QOL) and health outcomes due to historical and ongoing discrimination in addition to living through a collective trauma – the pre-HAART era of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pre-HAART, or pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy was a period in time - from the early 1980s to the mid 1990's -characterized by the absence of treatment, tremendous suffering, and rampant discrimination targeted at gay men. We drew on constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methods to examine how QOL and health are conceptualized in light of the sociohistorical relevance of pre-HAART, specifically, the legacy of the hardships and loss endured during that time. Twenty Canadian based gay men aged 50+ participated in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Findings illustrate that understandings of QOL and health are deeply informed by experiences incurred amidst pre-HAART, which continue to have implications for how men think about health and well-being. The importance of close personal connections, cultivating emotional and physical wellness, shifting from surviving to living, and maintaining a deep sense of gratitude for life were key themes that have implications for resource development and health provider approaches to support the health and well-being of older, gay men.