That Look That Makes You Not Really Want to be There: How Neoliberalism and the War on Drugs Compromise Nursing Care of People Who Use Substances

Abstract

Abstract Research conducted in 2016 explored the health care experiences of people who use illicit opioids in small Ontario urban and rural communities. Perspectives of participants who used opioids and of nurse participants were interpreted using Friere’s critical social theory framework to explore sociopolitical, economic and ideological influences. Findings describe pervasive experiences of stigma, discrimination and inappropriate care. Exploration of why such negative experiences with nursing care might be so pervasive led to a consideration of the context of health care systems and in particular of the influences of neoliberalism and the impact of the global War on Drugs. Mitigation strategies to support contextualized nursing practice are outlined. Nurses are called upon to actively resist the pressures of these political forces by advocating for policy change including decriminalization.