https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/05/05/signaux-non-verbaux-aider-autochtone
A genuine smile and a positive body posture go a long way to healing
By Louise Chisel
May 5, 2025
istockphoto.com/SDI Productions
Nurses can lead the way as we demonstrate how to interact with Indigenous patients. Our profession can make great strides in the treatment of Indigenous people — one interaction at a time, every day, and in every area of nursing.
What do the following statements have in common? “Eat what’s on your plate!” “Turn that TV off, it’s time to sleep!” “Ask to go to the bathroom if you need to go!”
These commands were said to First Nations children while in residential school, and they’re still hearing them today as Elders, 50-70 years later, in Canadian hospitals and long-term care facilities.
How do I know this? First Nations individuals have told me. Of course, this isn’t a blanket statement. Not all nurses or facilities have incidents like this. These are obvious examples of ways we can harm our Indigenous Elders.
I’d also like to have us thinking about the more subtle ways we may cause harm. I want to remind nurses that we hold exceptional positions of structural and relational power. We are an access point to the health-care system.
We hold protected positions under our regulatory and licensing bodies. We are part of the system, and we have the power to influence the experience of those accessing it, and thereby influence the nurse-patient relationship.
Actions speak louder than words
Our actions can result in the same care outcome (i.e., wellness or healing) for the patient. But how we act can change the way the patient feels, and can affect the degree to which they will continue to interact with the health-care system. Act inappropriately, and it might discourage the person from returning again, except in crisis or emergency.
But how do we know if we are being inappropriate? It takes self-awareness and knowledge of some of the cultural and societal norms, and our ability to express our verbal and non-verbal cues in a positive way.
When interacting with an Indigenous patient, I implore nurses to think about the basics of communication. As nursing students, we learned about the power of verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal cues send the most accurate messages.
First Nations people are astute observers. Their culture is built on “teaching by showing.” Every non-verbal and verbal interaction with a First Nations patient reveals volumes of information. A nurse’s attitude, sincerity, and compassion are quickly and accurately discerned.
Observational skills of Indigenous individuals are integral to the culture’s strength. Resolution 23 (iii) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action states the need to “[p]rovide cultural competency training for all health-care professionals.”
Two important non-verbal cues
To enhance your nursing practice with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis persons, I would suggest two simple but powerful non-verbal cues: a genuine smile and a positive body posture. These are so telling that our patients can read them within seconds and at a glance.
I will advise that a smile that doesn’t reach the eyes, and an open posture that doesn’t match the speaker’s hand gestures, will be perceived as misleading and not genuine.
A hospital stay for Indigenous patients can be a trigger back to decades of trauma. As nurses, a negative interaction with our patient can add to a deep ditch of their disillusionment.
Conversely, time spent in our care can be a road to respect and dignity to promote healing. The power we wield can add a puzzle piece to someone’s restoration story.
Both scenarios occur daily. Which one do you wish to foster?
Nurses can lead the way as we demonstrate how to interact with Indigenous patients. Our profession can make great strides in the treatment of Indigenous people — one interaction at a time, every day, and in every area of nursing. These moments will add up over time, helping to change the culture of the health-care system to one that offers greater dignity and respect.
As nurses, we have a duty to our patients and an accountability to the profession. We can use our power and privilege to improve outcomes and restore faith in health care.
I urge you to help lead this initiative to promote healing. Doing so could mark a turning point, transforming decades of despair into a future of dignity.
Louise Chisel, RN, BScN, is a home and community nurse in Lac Seul First Nation in northwestern Ontario.
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