Underrepresentation of Nurses in Croatian Graduate Nursing Programs: Implications for Academic Equity in Nursing Education

ABSTRACT

Aim

To examine the representation of nurses in Croatian graduate nursing programs and to explore its implications for academic equity, professional development, and nursing leadership.

Design

Cross-sectional descriptive study using document analysis.

Methods

Data on lecturers and course leaders for the 2022/2023 academic year were retrieved from all graduate and specialist nursing programs in Croatia. A total of 694 lecturers and 545 course leaders were analysed by professional background.

Results

Nurses accounted for 19% of lecturers in university graduate programs and 14% in specialist studies. As course leaders, they represented 11% in specialist studies and only 4% in university graduate programs. Thirty courses lacked assigned lecturers. The findings demonstrate a strong dominance of medicine and other professions in teaching roles.

Conclusion

Nurses remain markedly underrepresented in academic positions, which may limit their ability to shape curricula, influence educational standards and strengthen professional identity.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Improving the academic presence of nurses could be important for advancing leadership capacity, curriculum relevance and professional equity. Stronger representation may help enhance the profession's authority and indirectly benefit patient care.

Impact

What problem did the study address?: The study explored limited nurse representation in graduate nursing education and its implications for equity and autonomy. What were the main findings?: Nurses are a small minority in lecturer and course leader roles, with most positions occupied by non-nursing professionals. Where and on whom will the research have an impact?: The findings are relevant to educators, regulators and policymakers in Croatia and internationally, particularly in countries where nurses face barriers to academic participation. The study supports ongoing policy efforts to strenghten nurses' academic representation and leadership in higher education.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution. This study relied exclusively on publicly available academic data and did not involve patients, service users or members of the public.