Oct 2025

Here’s Why It Matters

The death of Joyce Echaquan is not just a tragedy — it is a mirror held up to health care. As a mother, daughter, sister, auntie, and grandmother, Joyce entered a hospital seeking care but instead encountered racism, neglect, and humiliation. Her final act, recording the racist words directed at her, revealed to all of Canada what Indigenous patients have long known: systemic racism in health care can have life-limiting consequences.

For nurses, remembering Joyce is both an ethical and professional obligation. This spotlight calls on Alberta’s community nurses to embrace decolonization in practice and education, moving beyond Western biomedical dominance to honour Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and resilience. It highlights the seven elements of colonization and how they continue to shape health outcomes, underscoring that racism is not just historical but ongoing, with devastating effects.

Click HERE for the new spotlight on Decolonizing Nursing: Five Years After Joyce Echaquan