Calling All Nurses Episode 3 - Shanyn Simcoe and the Toxic Drug Poisoning Epidemic
04/26/23 • 29 min
Approximately 11,171 deaths are attributed to the toxic drug poisoning since the public health emergency was declared in April, 2016. In B.C., the Coroner’s service reports approximately 6 lives lost every day to drug toxicity. These numbers will only continue to climb by day, month, and year as more deaths are investigated. Listen as Shanyn describes her call to action and how she gets the attention of political leaders to create change. Shanyn is the first to admit that never in a million years did she think her nursing career would be linked to political action, adeptly sharing how and where change happens.
Shanyn Simcoe, is a registered nurse of settler and Indigenous ancestry raised in Treaty 13 territory and currently residing on the unceded and traditional territory of the K’omox Nation. Shanyn’s nursing career has been predominantly in direct-care in acute psychiatry, primary care, and community-based Mental Health and Substance Use with a recent shift to a regional quality and safety leadership role following completion of an advanced practice leadership graduate degree. For her, in addition to being an inherent responsibility, political activism is also an act of self-care.
*Correction for the episode: Shanyn was put in touch with the Hedican family in early 2018, not 2017 as stated.
Stop Overdose B.C.: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use: https://www.bccsu.ca
Instagram: @calling.all.nurses
Comments and feedback can be sent to our email: [email protected]
Approximately 11,171 deaths are attributed to the toxic drug poisoning since the public health emergency was declared in April, 2016. In B.C., the Coroner’s service reports approximately 6 lives lost every day to drug toxicity. These numbers will only continue to climb by day, month, and year as more deaths are investigated. Listen as Shanyn describes her call to action and how she gets the attention of political leaders to create change. Shanyn is the first to admit that never in a million years did she think her nursing career would be linked to political action, adeptly sharing how and where change happens.
Shanyn Simcoe, is a registered nurse of settler and Indigenous ancestry raised in Treaty 13 territory and currently residing on the unceded and traditional territory of the K’omox Nation. Shanyn’s nursing career has been predominantly in direct-care in acute psychiatry, primary care, and community-based Mental Health and Substance Use with a recent shift to a regional quality and safety leadership role following completion of an advanced practice leadership graduate degree. For her, in addition to being an inherent responsibility, political activism is also an act of self-care.
*Correction for the episode: Shanyn was put in touch with the Hedican family in early 2018, not 2017 as stated.
Stop Overdose B.C.: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use: https://www.bccsu.ca
Instagram: @calling.all.nurses
Comments and feedback can be sent to our email: [email protected]
Previous Episode
Calling All Nurses Episode 2 - Dawn Tisdale with Anti-Indigenous Racism in Healthcare
Indigenous stereotyping, racism, and discrimination is not only widespread in healthcare, but limits medical access and treatment, particularly disproportionately impacting Indigenous girls and women (In Plain Sight, 2020). Healthcare personnel, administrators, educators, and governments know this. What has changed, if anything, and what will it take to change? Listen as Dawn tells us about her career, what policy can do and what still needs to be addressed. How does one make it happen?
Dawn Tisdale is a Registered Nurse of mixed Mi’kmaq and European ancestry and is the Indigenous Senior Professional Practice Lead for BC Children & Women’s Hospitals Indigenous Health Program. Dawn’s research and advocacy efforts are grounded in disrupting anti-Indigenous racism in support of health equity to improve access and services for Indigenous Peoples. Most importantly, she is committed to heart centered leadership to support systems change.
UNDRIP: United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples - https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf
In Plain Sight Full Report: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/613/2020/11/In-Plain-Sight-Full-Report-2020.pdf
Instagram: @calling.all.nurses
Comments and feedback can be sent to our email: [email protected]
Next Episode
Calling All Nurses Episode 4 - Megan Tomlinson and Planetary Health
The Canadian Nurses Association [CNA] believes that the public expects nurses to be aware of and know how to promote Canadians’ health in the context of environmental health issues. This is accomplished through nurses’ roles in clinical practice, education, research, administration and policy (CNA, 2017). Eco-literacy in nursing education focuses on the impact of climate change to human health, and the impacts are growing. In B.C. alone, we only need to consider a deadly heatwave that took the lives of over 600 people, seasonal wildfires, and atmospheric river devastation. Listen as Megan reveals her work with planetary health and the considerations nurses can adopt.
Megan Tomlinson is a Registered Nurse residing on the Unceded Traditional Territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. She is passionate about the protection of the natural world and is a member of the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment, including the BC chapter. In addition to her work as a community nurse, Megan is a yoga practitioner with a special interest in creating low barrier spaces and increased access to the healing modality of yoga.
References:
Canadian Nurses Association. (2017). Nurses and Environmental Health Position Statement. Ottawa: Author.
https://cne-aiie.ca
https://cane-aiie.ca/bc/
https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/policy-advocacy/policy-support-tools/position-statements
Instagram: @calling.all.nurses
Comments and feedback can be sent to our email: [email protected]
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