Becoming a Nurse Researcher to Advocate for Change
Jordan Sherstobitoff is completing a Master of Nursing to create the change needed to achieve health equity.
University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing student Jordan Sherstobitoff is completing her Master of Nursing (MN) for one reason – to become a nurse researcher.
“As a registered nurse, my goal is to reduce health inequalities experienced by marginalized populations and one way to do this is to advocate for policy change,” said Sherstobitoff.
“By doing research, I intend to focus on social justice issues that often don’t receive the attention they deserve. I believe using research as a tool to ethically humanize the experiences of marginalized populations can help create the change needed to achieve health equity.”
Sherstobitoff is currently completing her first year in the College of Nursing MN program, alongside her thesis supervisor and College of Nursing assistant professor Dr. Geoffrey Maina (PhD). They are both located at the USask Prince Albert Campus.
Sherstobitoff and Dr. Maina’s research project focuses on the mental health of new immigrant youth in Regina, SK. They will be working with the Regina Community Clinic to assess the mental health knowledge and self-care practices of immigrant youth.
“I will be creating a survey to understand and document the youth’s mental health knowledge and self-care practices,” said Sherstobitoff. “We want to create an immigrant youth advisory group of individuals with lived experiences of mental illnesses, create and administer a survey and questionnaire to assess newcomer youth's mental health literacy, resilience, well-being, and self-care, and use the results of the survey to develop our next steps.”
The information gathered from Sherstobitoff’s research will be used to develop relationships with stakeholders in Regina that will be foundational to the success of the Dr. Maina’s research project to help the immigrant communities in Saskatchewan.
Sherstobitoff received a Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC), Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), and University of Saskatchewan Spring/Summer 2022 MHRC-SHRF Mental Health Impact Scholarship to work on this research from March till the end of September 2022.
“I am looking forward to having the chance to raise awareness and empower youth,” said Sherstobitoff. “We have heard anecdotally from health care providers and community representatives, who work with this population, that there are a growing number of newcomer youth seeking mental health services. Despite the increase in demand, there are shortfalls to the programs available. My hope is this research will not only bring awareness to the mental health challenges accompanying the settlement process, but to begin to explore innovative ways to support mental wellness and empower newcomer youth.”
After listening to Dr. Maina as a guest speaker and reviewing his research accomplishments, Sherstobitoff felt connected to his unwavering focus on social justice and community-based research, which solidified her determination to seek opportunities to engage in similar work under his supervision. Knowing she wanted to advance her nursing education, Sherstobitoff approached Dr. Maina to be her thesis supervisor. While completing her MN program, she is also working as a research assistant for Dr. Maina.
Sherstobitoff completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the University of Victoria at Selkirk College in her hometown of Castlegar, British Columbia. Prior to beginning her MN program in fall 2022, she worked in acute psychiatry and as a street outreach nurse in British Columbia.
“Street outreach nursing exposed me to a multitude of individuals experiencing homelessness and diverse health inequalities,” adds Sherstobitoff.
“The experiences I had and the people I took care of ignited my passion for social justice and political advocacy. Taking care of individuals whose lives are characterized by poverty, lack of stable housing, unemployment, and decreased nutrition, I felt an urge to act and use my position as a registered nurse to advocate and make a difference – even for just one person. Nurses are encouraged by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) to maintain awareness of social justice issues that affect the social determinants of health and to advocate for improvements. Through my experiences as both an undergrad and graduate student, I have realized there are numerous opportunities for nurses to make a difference. I would encourage all nurses and nursing students to be motivated to advocate for the improved health and services wherever they notice gaps or barriers. I thank Dr. Maina for helping me believe in myself and my potential to enact change and make a difference.”
“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Jordan during her first year in the Master of Nursing program,” said Dr. Maina. “She is a strong student, passionate about research, and truly committed to making positive change in the world. Congratulations Jordan on achieving this significant award as a first-year graduate student!”