TY - JOUR
T1 - Creating walking tracks to success
T2 - a narrative analysis of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students’ stories of success
AU - West, Roianne
AU - FOSTER, Kim
AU - Stewart, Lee
AU - Usher, Kim
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have higher rates of morbidity and mortality than other Australians. One proposed strategy to improve this situation is to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses, in the health workforce. Although the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students undertaking tertiary nursing courses have increased, completion rates have not kept pace. The study aimed to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students’ experiences of enablers for successful course completion and to develop a narrative of student experience. A qualitative study using a strengths-based approach with a narrative analysis of semi-structured interview data was conducted across four schools of Nursing in Queensland, Australia. Eight final-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students volunteered to participate in the study. A collective story with the overarching plotline Creating walking tracks to success was developed. Six threads of experience emerged: Making a difference, Valuing Indigeneity, Healing strength of connections, Resisting racism, Embracing support, and persevering towards completion. Key success factors included resilient attributes, building supportive connections and having positive expectations of the future, along with sustained institutional support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurse academics and clinicians. Development of tailored resilience-building training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students and appointment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics in Schools of Nursing that include such students may facilitate future successful completions in other programs.
AB - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have higher rates of morbidity and mortality than other Australians. One proposed strategy to improve this situation is to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses, in the health workforce. Although the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students undertaking tertiary nursing courses have increased, completion rates have not kept pace. The study aimed to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students’ experiences of enablers for successful course completion and to develop a narrative of student experience. A qualitative study using a strengths-based approach with a narrative analysis of semi-structured interview data was conducted across four schools of Nursing in Queensland, Australia. Eight final-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students volunteered to participate in the study. A collective story with the overarching plotline Creating walking tracks to success was developed. Six threads of experience emerged: Making a difference, Valuing Indigeneity, Healing strength of connections, Resisting racism, Embracing support, and persevering towards completion. Key success factors included resilient attributes, building supportive connections and having positive expectations of the future, along with sustained institutional support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurse academics and clinicians. Development of tailored resilience-building training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing students and appointment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics in Schools of Nursing that include such students may facilitate future successful completions in other programs.
KW - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
KW - Indigenous
KW - Narrative analysis
KW - Nurses
KW - Resilience
KW - Undergraduate students
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995466974&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/creating-walking-tracks-success-narrative-analysis-australian-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-nurs
U2 - 10.1016/j.colegn.2016.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.colegn.2016.08.001
M3 - Article
SN - 1322-7696
VL - 23
SP - 349
EP - 354
JO - Collegian
JF - Collegian
IS - 4
ER -