A Sound Constitution separates fact from fiction
By Ursula Leonowicz • Postmedia Content Works, reprinted from the National Post
One vital skill nurses must learn is how to provide health information to their patients in accessible language.
At Vancouver Island University (VIU), nursing students are learning how to do this in unique ways. Airing every Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m. PT and with over a million listeners across all platforms, it’s fair to say that A Sound Constitution has accomplished its goal.
Created to provide evidence-based health and wellness information at a literacy level that’s appropriate for the general public, the radio show is hosted by nursing students. It airs on CHLY 101.7 FM, YouTube and Spotify, covering topics ranging from vaccines and women’s health to healthy eating and loneliness.
“They’re not afraid to take on controversial health topics, and they always come from a health promotion, harm reduction and social justice lens, separating fact from fiction,” says Sandy Alexander, a nursing professor at VIU who supervises the show that’s produced in partnership with the campus-community radio station.
“Nurses provide a lot of health information in a variety of contexts of care, but one of our roles is also to advocate for health, so this provides a great platform for that.”
The team behind A Sound Constitution focuses on subjects that range from health promotion and harm reduction to social justice.
Originally pitched in 2008 by a nursing student who attended a conference with Dr. Brian Goldman, the host of the CBC Radio show and podcast White Coat, Black Art, the first episode of A Sound Constitution aired in 2010.
Part of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program’s community clinical practice, the show is led by third- and fourth-year students who chose the option among a variety of others, including a harm reduction alliance and a community policing drug education program.
“I did hear that it was going to be a lot of work because of the technical learning curve — which it is — but I think the biggest benefit so far is that we’re looking at a huge range of topics. We have to narrow them down to what’s applicable to our community and the things we can apply in our practice as nurses,” says Jessie-Anna Bampfield, a third-year nursing student at VIU who works on A Sound Constitution.
“My favourite episode was the one about hearing health. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and now I’m always conscious of turning down the volume on my headphones.”
Participants learn how to use Audacity, a digital audio editor and recording application software, to record and edit eight shows per semester.
Bampfield, who’s considering perinatal, labour delivery or acute care for her future in nursing, says VIU has given her many options to consider.
“We have so many experiences in so many different settings that it really opens up our lens to what’s out there for nursing, especially in Nanaimo,” she says.
For more information about VIU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing or any of its programs, visit viu.ca.
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Vancouver Island University.
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