Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives
<b>Background:</b> Indigenous peoples in Canada endure lasting effects of colonialism including racism, marginalization, and social, political, and geographic inequities resulting in disproportionate rates of disease and inequitable healthcare. Indigenous infants and children in Canada e...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Children |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/895 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849418552424005632 |
|---|---|
| author | Jill M. G. Bally Meridith Burles Amaya Widyaratne Victoria A. Spurr Heather Hodgson-Viden Roona Sinha |
| author_facet | Jill M. G. Bally Meridith Burles Amaya Widyaratne Victoria A. Spurr Heather Hodgson-Viden Roona Sinha |
| author_sort | Jill M. G. Bally |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> Indigenous peoples in Canada endure lasting effects of colonialism including racism, marginalization, and social, political, and geographic inequities resulting in disproportionate rates of disease and inequitable healthcare. Indigenous infants and children in Canada experience a high incidence of birth complications and illnesses, and families are often left to navigate the care of their child with limited resources. Accordingly, improved, culturally responsive and safe healthcare is needed to enhance child outcomes and optimize family well-being. <b>Purpose and Methods:</b> A qualitative study was conducted by our research team including family members of Indigenous children with serious illnesses, a Cultural Advisor, researchers, and pediatric clinicians. In one component of the study, we explored pediatric healthcare providers’ (HCPs) experiences of caring for Indigenous families of children with serious illness. A purposive sample of 19 pediatric healthcare providers took part in semi-structured qualitative interviews or one focus group. The data were analyzed thematically to identify common experiences and priorities for improved supportive healthcare. <b>Findings:</b> Five themes were identified representing insights from pediatric HCPs, with a focus on barriers to effective healthcare at the interpersonal, institutional, and system levels for seriously ill Indigenous children and their families. Ideas for enhancing the social and cultural responsiveness and safety of supportive healthcare were identified. <b>Implications and Conclusions:</b> The findings offer valuable insights and strategies for HCPs to support holistic, comprehensive, and culturally safe and responsive healthcare. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6817cb7ffc2b46b6b41e1964b597f0c6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-6817cb7ffc2b46b6b41e1964b597f0c62025-08-20T03:32:25ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-07-0112789510.3390/children12070895Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ PerspectivesJill M. G. Bally0Meridith Burles1Amaya Widyaratne2Victoria A. Spurr3Heather Hodgson-Viden4Roona Sinha5College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, CanadaSt. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, CanadaCollege of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, CanadaCollege of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, CanadaCollege of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, CanadaCollege of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada<b>Background:</b> Indigenous peoples in Canada endure lasting effects of colonialism including racism, marginalization, and social, political, and geographic inequities resulting in disproportionate rates of disease and inequitable healthcare. Indigenous infants and children in Canada experience a high incidence of birth complications and illnesses, and families are often left to navigate the care of their child with limited resources. Accordingly, improved, culturally responsive and safe healthcare is needed to enhance child outcomes and optimize family well-being. <b>Purpose and Methods:</b> A qualitative study was conducted by our research team including family members of Indigenous children with serious illnesses, a Cultural Advisor, researchers, and pediatric clinicians. In one component of the study, we explored pediatric healthcare providers’ (HCPs) experiences of caring for Indigenous families of children with serious illness. A purposive sample of 19 pediatric healthcare providers took part in semi-structured qualitative interviews or one focus group. The data were analyzed thematically to identify common experiences and priorities for improved supportive healthcare. <b>Findings:</b> Five themes were identified representing insights from pediatric HCPs, with a focus on barriers to effective healthcare at the interpersonal, institutional, and system levels for seriously ill Indigenous children and their families. Ideas for enhancing the social and cultural responsiveness and safety of supportive healthcare were identified. <b>Implications and Conclusions:</b> The findings offer valuable insights and strategies for HCPs to support holistic, comprehensive, and culturally safe and responsive healthcare.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/895family nursingIndigenous healthcarechildhood life limiting illnesseschildhood life threatening illnessesqualitative researchchildhood chronic illness |
| spellingShingle | Jill M. G. Bally Meridith Burles Amaya Widyaratne Victoria A. Spurr Heather Hodgson-Viden Roona Sinha Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives Children family nursing Indigenous healthcare childhood life limiting illnesses childhood life threatening illnesses qualitative research childhood chronic illness |
| title | Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives |
| title_full | Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives |
| title_short | Supporting Indigenous Family Caregivers of Children with Life-Threatening and Life-Limiting Illness in One Canadian Province: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives |
| title_sort | supporting indigenous family caregivers of children with life threatening and life limiting illness in one canadian province healthcare providers perspectives |
| topic | family nursing Indigenous healthcare childhood life limiting illnesses childhood life threatening illnesses qualitative research childhood chronic illness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/895 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jillmgbally supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives AT meridithburles supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives AT amayawidyaratne supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives AT victoriaaspurr supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives AT heatherhodgsonviden supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives AT roonasinha supportingindigenousfamilycaregiversofchildrenwithlifethreateningandlifelimitingillnessinonecanadianprovincehealthcareprovidersperspectives |