Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ experiences of racism at work

Abstract

Glossary of term

It needs to be noted that First Nations Australians are also identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders but also First Nations and Indigenous peoples of Australia. Further, many First Nations Australians self-identify as ‘blackfullas’. The word blackfullas has been reclaimed and reframed to the descriptor of the invading English identifying Indigenous peoples as Black fellows.

Background

Very few studies explore the perspectives of First Nations Australian nurses and their experiences of racism in the workplace. To date, racism in the Australian nursing and midwifery workforce is rarely researched, interrogated, or challenged. Despite this, experiences of racism are common, widespread, persistent, and present a harmful and significant challenge to recruiting, retaining, and supporting the health and well-being of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing workforce as demonstrated by the individual accounts of racism collected and analysed in this study. This workforce is integral to the provision of culturally safe, effective, and inclusive care for First Nations Australians, and racism in workplaces must be identified, examined, and understood to both address and end it.

Objective

To provide insights into workplace racism experiences in a way that is genuine to the First Nations’ nurse’s perspective.

Methods

This research is Indigenist Research and utilised the First Nations method of yarning. The Primary Investigator (PI) undertook all yarns via Zoom (30–90 min) and is an Aboriginal registered nurse. The space created for the yarns to occur was a culturally safe space as all research participants were known to the PI, and safe boundaries and spaces were established. All yarns undertaken were recorded via Zoom. Thematic data analysis was undertaken deductively, and participants were provided with transcripts for comment.

Results

Ten participants were recruited via the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) First Nations Branch. Three salient and interrelated themes emerged from the analysis of the data, highlighting racism experiences and effects on First Nations nurses. The three themes were (in)direct racism, interjecting and calling out racism, and impacts of racism.

Discussion

This study investigated the detrimental effects of racism on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ professional trajectories, sense of self within the healthcare environment, and overall well-being. The findings not only suggest a correlation between nurses’ experience and their willingness to confront racist incidents but also highlight the negative and harmful impacts this can have on participants. The willingness to confront and respond to racism might be attributed to accumulated frustration or a growing sense of agency in addressing these issues and could be a valuable phenomenon to investigate in future research. The study’s significance lies in its novelty in an emerging field, and its potential to inform larger-scale research endeavours and influence policy development in areas of workplace safety, Indigenous healthcare workforce strategies, cultural safety initiatives, and the fostering of more inclusive healthcare institutions.

Conclusions

Racism harms Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ careers, identity, safety, and social and emotional well-being. The more they experience it, the more likely they are to challenge it, perhaps out of frustration or empowerment; however, this takes its toll. Experiencing repeated overt and covert racism in the workplace is exhausting, and racism fatigue is proposed as a new concept that refers to how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses might experience this ongoing and tiring demand, which could lead to many leaving their jobs or the nursing profession altogether. This study suggests a need for larger studies that utilise Indigenist methodologies, further examination and exploration of the phenomena of racism fatigue, and urgent policy changes to create a more supportive workplace free of racism.