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Communities rooted in nature: Understanding civic ecology within the Lower Mainland
Get PDFCivic ecology is a field of study that utilizes environmental conservation and gardening techniques, which can provide environmental education and build social-ecological resilience (Maharrammli, et al., 2021) (Kransy, 2018). This interdisciplinary field of study seeks to address a fundamental misconception that humans are separate from nature by encouraging community and environmental initiatives while empowering individuals who participate (Kransy, 2018). This article seeks to understand current civic ecological programs within the Lower Mainland region and highlight their benefits, such as building social-ecological resilience, food security, and incorporating local knowledge. In addition, barriers to these programs will be discussed, which include accessibility and green gentrification, while proposing potential solutions.Civic Ecology, Green Gentrification, Food Security, Local Knowledge, Land Ethic Theory, Social-Ecological Resilienc
Toward an anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, practice in outdoor therapies
Get PDFChildren and youth are exposed to health risks stemming from urbanization, technification, family stressors, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Outdoor therapeutic approaches offer social workers a range of protective interventions that are strengths-based, build coping skills, can be context specific and are shown to be effective in building resilience and wellbeing in their users (Combs et al., 2016; Harper et al., 2018; Bettman, 2018; Harper & Dobud, 2021). Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of outdoor interventions, little is known about the mechanisms of therapeutic change, and several theoretical perspectives have been offered to explain the therapeutic process. This paper reviews theoretical frameworks and practice models from recent literature, identifying an alternative, holistic approach to outdoor therapy. Outdoor therapy models are considered that exhibit core elements of outdoor therapies, identifying an approach that is locationally flexible and transferrable in settings ranging from urban to wilderness. Little research has been published reflecting preventative, trauma informed approaches to outdoor therapies (Johnson et al., 2020; Harper & Dobud, 2021), and anti-oppressive approaches to outdoor therapies are similarly unexplored. Opportunities for preventative, trauma-informed interventions are discussed, including anti-oppressive policy considerations bearing on implementation, to promote equity within the field of outdoor therapy, and to build generations of gritty youth
Experiences of medical-surgical nurses in caring for patients affected by mental illness
Get PDFMore than half of hospital beds in Canada are considered general ward or medical-surgical beds. When individuals affected by mental illness are admitted to hospital for physical health reasons, their average length of stay is twice as long as individuals without a mental comorbidity. Medical-surgical nurses play an important role in destigmatizing mental illness by promoting and providing competent, holistic, and integrated care to all patients they encounter. However, very little research has been conducted on this topic, and existing literature suggests that health-care providers working in non-mental health settings are not equipped with the knowledge and skills to safely care for these complex patients. The aim of this study was two-fold: to explore the experience of medical-surgical nurses in caring for mentally ill patients and to identify shared experiences among those nurses. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to answer the research question: What is the lived experience of medical-surgical nurses in caring for patients with a mental health diagnosis? Interviews were conducted with 10 participants. Five themes emerged during data analysis: “hope in recovery”, “caring in complexity”, “the nurse-client relationship”, “moral distress”, and “change is needed”. Participants’ experiences were interpreted and discussed within the context of current literature. Study findings contributed to our understanding of the contextual factors that influence the experience of caring for patients with mental illness in medical-surgical settings and revealed barriers to achieving integrated, patient-centred, holistic care. Recommendations and implications for nursing practice and policy are provided.
Author-supplied keywords: Medical-surgical nurses; mental illness; medical nursing; surgical nursingIncludes bibliographical references (pages 64-78)."In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing.
Supporting autistic youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis
Get PDFAutistic youth are at an increased risk of presenting with one or more co-occurring psychiatric disorders. In addition to this, autistic youth are at a greater risk of experiencing a mental health crisis. Emergency department utilization is four times greater for this population than neurotypical youth, and autistic youth are psychiatrically hospitalized to inpatient units at significantly higher rates (McGuire & Siegel, 2018). Despite this, emergency departments and standard psychiatric units are often not equipped with the environmental supports, staff training, and resources to effectively support autistic youth. This literature review has found that environmental adaptations and the implementation of autism specific assessment tools increase treatment outcomes of autistic youth on standard psychiatric units. Access to autism specialized psychiatric units has shown even greater patient outcomes (McGuire et al., 2015); however, a limited number of these units exist. Further research and implementation of ASD specific adaptations are warranted to address gaps that currently exist in meeting the needs of autistic youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis
Understanding Mental Health, Burnout, and Substance Abuse among Legal Professionals in Canada
Get PDFMental health, burnout, and substance abuse in the workplace have come into focus yet only certain occupations have been studied regarding these concepts. The legal profession in Canada lacks behind in combating mental health, burnout, and substance abuse issues and requires further attention to help create a healthier and happier profession. This research delved into these topics to get a better understanding of its prevalence, as well as to discover what is currently being done to address it, and what needs to be done to address it better in the future. There is little research about these topics and lawyers in the Canadian context. This project aimed to contribute to the literature. Using primary and secondary data collection methods, this research sought answers using thematic and exploratory analysis, and integrative literature review methods. The literature and survey data show that lawyers experience an increase in mental health, burnout, and substance abuse issues yet little is being done about it to aid in preventing or educating lawyers about prevention or intervention strategies. Participants in the study reported unique and meaningful answers about how to improve the current standards by the Law Society in their respective province in Canada, as well as the current stressors that they are experiencing which can be minimized. This research is integral to a healthier and happier future for legal professionals in Canada and it is important to acknowledge the importance of addressing these issues through prevention and education initiatives before they become detrimental to the lawyers, the profession, and their clients
Expression of MyoD and M-Cadherin in C2C12 cells:: Differentiation induced by cell-to-cell contact vs reduction in growth factor
Get PDFC2C12 murine cells differentiate through the fusion of myoblasts to form multinucleated myotubes as a cell model used to study myogenesis in vitro. Differentiation can be induced through serum starvation, which is achieved with adult serum that has reduced growth factors (GF), or cell-to-cell contact which induces growth arrest. Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) is commonly used as a source of GF for cell proliferation, whilst Horse Serum (HS) lacks GF, allowing for induction of cell differentiation. Common methodologies in literature utilized 2% HS as differentiation media (DM) while ATCC recommends 10% HS as DM; DM switch also varied at 80% or 100% cell confluency. However, effects of such variations have yet to be studied. Hence, we aim to study the effects of C2C12 cell differentiation due to cell-to-cell contact versus GF reduction using MyoD and m-Cadherin as biomarkers. MyoD, a master regulator of muscle-specific genes, is activated in the nucleus to initiate myogenesis. m-Cadherin is a transmembrane protein mediating cell fusion prior to myotube formation. Samples were switched to 2% HS at 80% or 100% cell confluency and 10% HS at 100% confluency, compared to control samples maintained in 10% FBS. Localization and relative expression of biomarkers between the condition groups were studied via immunocytochemistry (ICC) and qPCR analysis, respectively, at myoblast stage (MB), days 0, 4, 7, and 11. Varying culture conditions across the literature poses obstacles for data reproducibility and comparability.The outcomes of this study may contribute in establishing a standardized cell culture protocol within the discipline
Manifesto on Neighbourliness
Get PDFThe manifesto and toolkit offers a starting place for ethical creative inquiry when making work with other people or community from an institutional position, such as student, artist-in-resident, or faculty. It is in response to the author’s experience as a community practice artist who spent their undergraduate degree at Emily Carr University frustrated with the overwhelming pressure to create fast-paced, ethically questionable projects using community as subject. Manifesto on Neighbourliness: Ethics Toolkit for Creative Community Inspiration collates knowledge shared via conversation, reading assignments, making mistakes, and other forms of interdependent inquiry. Mickey L.D. Morgan explores ethics through themes such as care, mitigating violence, responsibility, while at the same time an attempt at practicing these through situating themself within the text
Into the Open Podcast Series
No full textThe Into the Open Podcasts Series provided insight into how students perceive open pedagogy in terms of impact on their personal learning contexts
