Decolonizing nursing education: Beyond Indigenous perspectives through a global and intersectional lens

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Decolonization Studies
• Critical Race Theory

Background:

• Nursing education historically relies on Eurocentric frameworks, marginalizing diverse knowledge systems.
• Decolonization efforts are expanding beyond settler-colonial contexts.
• Existing literature lacks a global, intersectional framework for decolonizing nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a global, intersectional, and justice-oriented framework for decolonizing nursing education.
• To move beyond Indigenous inclusion towards a critical examination of colonial legacies.
• To advocate for structural transformation in nursing curricula, pedagogy, and institutions.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual and theoretical analysis synthesizing literature from critical race theory, intersectionality, Indigenous scholarship, and Global South perspectives.
• Developing a theoretical framework to interrogate colonial legacies across geographies and knowledge systems.
• Utilizing case examples and tables to illustrate practical applications (praxis).

Main Results:

• Decolonization in nursing must be structural, not symbolic, addressing systemic issues like racism and White institutional norms.
• Centering epistemologies from the Global South, racialized communities, and diasporic knowledge systems is crucial.
• Transformative strategies include critical health literacy, faculty development, and transnational collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Decolonizing nursing education necessitates a fundamental shift in power dynamics and knowledge production.
• Embedding justice within curricula, policy, and fostering relational accountability are key imperatives.
• Nursing should be reimagined as a political and ethical space for healing and liberation.