Rethinking Children’s Nursing: Critical learnings from Childhood Studies

Abstract

Within this commentary, I contest dominant views and practices regarding im/maturity within Children’s Nursing that are rooted in refuted age-based conceptions of child development. I highlight how these operate as forms of epistemological oppression that perpetuate the exclusion of young people’s voices and experiences in research, policymaking and practice development that affects them. These dominant approaches breach their participation rights and can generate significant distress and trauma. To counter these oppressive views and practices, I discuss an inclusive participatory framework that is centered on the recognition of young people as human agents, acknowledging their voices as forms of agential expression and action. I argue that all research, policymaking and practice development that affects young people should be informed by their aspirations and concerns expressed through respectful – not tokenistic - youth engagement initiatives. I argue for an urgently-needed restructuring of Children’s Nursing theory and practice.