Educating Aboriginal Nursing Students: Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Report

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Indigenous Health
• Cultural Competence

Background:

• A 2015 Canadian report highlighted the need to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and reduce health disparities in nursing education.
• This necessitates addressing challenges in recruiting, retaining, and educating Indigenous nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine issues faced by Indigenous students in nursing programs.
• To review cultural competence among nurse educators working with Indigenous students.
• To explore effective strategies for improving Indigenous student success in nursing.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
• The review focused on Indigenous student experiences and nurse educator cultural competence.

Main Results:

• Existing strategies for Indigenous nursing student success have had limited effectiveness.
• There is a gap in literature addressing the specific needs and challenges of Indigenous nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Rethinking educational strategies is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of Indigenous nursing education.
• The findings have implications for Canadian nursing programs and international nursing education.