Dynamic and complex health systems require innovative and adaptive solutions to support patient safety and achieve equitable health outcomes for Indigenous populations. Understanding the ways by which Indigenous (and specifically Māori) nurse practitioners (NPs) practice patient safety is key to enhancing Indigenous health outcomes in predominantly westernized healthcare systems.
To describe Māori NPs perspectives on patient safety when caring for Māori and understand how Māori NPs deliver safe health care.
A group of five Māori NPs worked alongside a Māori nurse researcher to explore their perceptions of patient safety. Together, they held an online hui (focus group) in early 2024. Data were analysed collectively, informed by kaupapa Māori principles, using reflexive thematic analysis.
Māori NP experiences, expressions and understandings of patient safety envelop cultural safety and have many facets that are specific to the needs of Māori populations. The three themes showed: (1) Te hanga a te mahi: the intersection of cultural and clinical expertise; (2) Mātauranga tuku iho: the knowledge from within, where safe practice was strongly informed by traditional knowledge and cultural practice; (3) Te Ao hurihuri: walking in two worlds, where Māori NPs navigated the westernized health system's policies and practices while acting autonomously to advocate for and deliver culturally safe care.
The Māori NP lens on patient safety is vital for promoting culturally responsive and effective health care. By recognizing the unique needs of Māori patients and families and incorporating cultural perspectives into practice, Māori NPs contribute to a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to patient safety that goes beyond westernized principles and practices.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) in delivering models of acute and urgent care in local communities informing the development of NPs as a solution to providing sustainable and effective healthcare in these settings.
Descriptive qualitative multicase study.
The study population comprised NPs, clinic managers and general practitioners from NP-led acute and urgent care clinics across urban and rural Aotearoa New Zealand. Data were gathered from 20 semistructured interviews across seven sites. Data were thematically analysed to identify themes. Clinic-level operational data relating to the governance, team structures, and service delivery models were also collated and content from these data was integrated into the analysis and findings.
Five key themes were identified: meeting the needs of the community; development of NP-led acute care services; NPs as part of the healthcare team; training and support systems and supporting junior NPs and NP candidates.
Nurse practitioners have a valuable role to play in delivering acute and urgent care services to local communities. Increasing awareness of the NP role, the prioritisation of community needs and strengthening training and support structures at both a workforce and clinic level were key findings from this research.
Findings from this research guided the development of a set of recommendations which consider community, clinic and wider national perspectives and aim to support the future growth of NP-led community acute/urgent care.
This research has adhered to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines.
The authors have nothing to report.
To synthesise international literature to identify mechanisms that maintain racism in nursing and understand the factors that contribute to designing and implementing anti-racist praxis to inform nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
An integrative literature review was undertaken, integrating Indigenous Kaupapa Māori methodologies to ensure a cultural and philosophical lens.
Peer-reviewed literature published, between January 2011 and July 2023 were sourced. Of 1296 articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria and 4 were identified via citation chaining. In total, 20 articles were included. The Johns Hopkins Research Evidence Tool was applied, findings extracted, and thematic analysis completed utilising Indigenous Kaupapa Māori principles.
Databases, including CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and Aus/NZ Reference Centre, were searched in July 2023.
Two key themes were identified: (1) colonial active resistance to change; and (2) transformational, visionary, and proactive nursing.
Nurses are well-positioned to confront the structures that maintain racism in health and education systems but are often actors in maintaining status quo. Anti-racist praxis can be a mechanism for nurses to reimagine, redefine and transform nursing care, leadership, and nursing education to begin to eradicate racism.
This integrative review adhered to the 2020 Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method.
No patient or public contribution.
Racism remains prevalent in nursing and the healthcare system. It is necessary to implement anti-racist praxis and policies that resist, deconstruct, and dismantle power and racism while validating Indigenous values, beliefs and practices. This is vital to deliver equitable health care.
This integrative review presents lived realities and knowledge of Indigenous and racially minoritised nurses and scholars, alongside nursing allies to inform anti-racist praxis. This evidence signifies that it is time to walk the walk to challenge the colonising systems and processes that hold racism in place.