Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery academics to stay in academia – a scoping review

Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery academics to stay in academia – a scoping review

Introduction: The representation of First Nations’ peoples in the academic workforce, particularly within nursing and midwifery, is crucial for fostering diversity, equity, and culturally safe practices in healthcare education. Despite ongoing efforts, challenges related to recruitment and retention persist, necessitating a comprehensive synthesis of existing strategies and their effectiveness.

Aim: To identify and synthesise the recruitment and retention strategies for First Nations’ nursing and midwifery academics globally, to identify transferrable recommendations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic workforce.

Methods: This scoping review was guided by six stages of Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and reported using the PRISMA-Scr guidelines. Databases searched included- Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Emcare, and PubMed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified and guided the review. Data were charted and synthesised to identify key theme.

Results: The review yielded four articles. Seven key themes were identified: intention, relationships between communities, the university and curriculum, clear pathways from undergraduate to academic leader, inclusive and culturally safe workplace culture, mentoring and support, positive management practices, and institutional change and support.

Discussion: This review highlights the critical need for more comprehensive and culturally safe approaches to support First Nations’ academics. Addressing structural racism within educational institutions and providing ongoing professional development focused on cultural safety and competence are essential. The themes generated provide a schema for organisational self-evaluation and future strategy development to improve recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery academic workforce.

Conclusion: The review underscores the significant gap in Australian research on this topic and calls for further studies to explore the long-term impact of these strategies.

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