Courses > Nursing Courses
Embracing Child Rights and Child/Youth Centredness in Canadian Pediatric Nursing
The ethos of this course is the "respect" of children and youth as human beings. Within this course students will seek to understand the lived experience of children and youth within the context of health and healing. As well, students will develop an understanding of the meaning of child/youth centred nursing practice. Students interested in understanding child and youth health from the lived experience and perspective of children and youth themselves would be most drawn to this course. As well, students interested in calling into question dominant paternalistic models of children and "pediatric" nursing would also find the focus and critiques in this course congruent with their interests.
This course will focus on and give voice to children and youth in their own context of health and healing. Most other "pediatric" nursing courses in Canada are illness based, system based and root the "care" of children in the context of the adult needs that surround them. This course will enable nurses to develop a model of nursing practice which values listens and partners with children and youth. It invites nurses to seek to understand and integrate a practice of child/youth drivenness while ensuring that future nursing care is steeped in the diverse lived experience of children and youth as individuals in and of themselves, and not just within the context of their families per se. 'Most Canadians would agree that they are interested in human rights, and by default some have also become interested in Children's Rights. The Canadian government signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on behalf of all provinces, territories and citizens (and therefore nurses) in December 1991, but is this treaty legally binding? What are the implications for Canada's pediatric nurses? The ICN has made a position statement regarding children's rights as well. (see below) While our country continues to enjoy an international reputation as a human rights champion, this profile could be called into question where the civil and political (in other words health) rights of children and youth are concerned' (Mitchell, R, 2005, personal communication). With these critical questions in mind, students will engage in the following areas of inquiry and dialogue : advocacy, child rights, ethics, consent and capacity, autonomy, paternalism, ageism, community development with youth, youth centred care versus family centred care, violence, mental health, body image, sexuality, mental health, environmental health, gender, sport, education, societal marginalization and the impact on health, chronic illness, hospitalization and the practice of partnering with children and youth. Students will self define interest areas for inquiry from this list or otherwise which will include field work with children and/or youth.
ICN Statement on Child Rights 
Learning Objectives
In this course students will:
1. Develop an awareness of the UN Convention on the Rigthts of the Child, and apply this treaty to understanding children's lives and pediatric nursing practice.
2. Seek to understand the meaning of children and youth's lived experiences of health and healing.
3. Critically analyze conceptualizations and dominant theories of children and youth that guide current "pediatric" nursing practice.
4. Critically and reflectively pursue an understanding of what child/youth centred nursing practice includes for one's self as a nurse.
5. Develop an awareness of various child and youth health movements in Canada
6. Analyze the values, assumptions, and beliefs surrounding adult-derived versus child/ youth derived programs, literature and policies.
7. Acknowledge and discuss how themes of difference, diversity, and societal marginalization impact on the determinants of child and youth health.
8. Critique health policy decisions concerning the lives of children and youth
9. Develop a notion of self as nurse in the context of nursing that is child/youth driven and flesh out one's own role in relationship to children and youth ... in the spirit of partnership
10. Critique and make recommendations for change with respect to current developments developments, policies, trends, practices and programs which are meant to "address" child and youth health needs.
11. Critically and reflectively pursue an understanding of what child/youth centred nursing practice and research includes for one's self as a developing nurse.
12. Pursue a series of consultations with a child or a youth, in order to inform ones emergent practice, and to affirm and nurture a child/youth's lived experience.
13. Develop knowledge in the growth and "development" of children and articulate how this knowledge is important for pediatric nursing
Exemplary Student Learning Summaries:
"Before taking this course, I could never imagine that children have rights. I believed that parents know what the best is for the child, because they truly care. It is true that parents do care, but only child him/herself can know what the best is for him/her. Children have the right to be who they want to be. I was surprised to learn that children have the right to make a decision about their health or even life. After taking this course, now I pay more attention when talking to a child or youth. I am interested in person behind the age. " Ekaterina, 2009
"This experience throughout this course has changed my view on children and youth for the better. I have gained more knowledge on how important it is that children's rights are enforced. Children and youth have the right to be heard and have the right to speak up about their experiences. As adults we must look for the signs, and hear the cries of children who are being neglected. We must feed them the fuel they need so that they can all understand that they have the right to the best quality of life possible. " Jacqueline, 2009
"At times it seemed overwhelming because I did not think that there would be means to bring justice to children who have been suffering. Week after week, I was learning about the social issues but I could not clearly distinguish where I belonged and how I was going to contribute to helping these children. It slowly became obvious that although there were many issues that children were facing it only takes a nurse to muster the courage to bring recognition to these social issues and as long as these issues were being spoken about, nurses were one step closer to attacking these issues that were infringing on children's rights. This was my light bulb moment. " Michelle, 2009
