Racism is a persistent and damaging issue that negatively affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ careers, physical and mental health, and overall well-being. Despite being widespread and persistent in healthcare and in nursing, little research attention and wider acknowledgement has been focussed on this damaging and hateful phenomenon that is driving First Nations nurses away from the profession.

An Indigenous nurse-led research project recently investigated the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses in Queensland who face racism in their workplaces. The research, now published in Collegian,¹ highlights that racism is a significant barrier to the personal well-being, professional development, and workforce engagement of these nurses.

Our participants described various forms of racism, including both direct and indirect racism, and the negative impacts these experiences have had on their health, identity, and career.

All ten participants in the study reported experiencing racism at work. This ranged from comments about their race to being excluded or treated unfairly by colleagues. For example, one nurse was assumed to be late for work because of their Aboriginal background, and another was told to handle a patient because of their skin colour, even though they had no direct connection.

One of the key findings of the research was the identification of what we have termed ‘racism fatigue’. The concept of racism fatigue describes the mental and emotional toll that racism takes on individuals who constantly face it. Many First Nations nurses expressed exhaustion from repeated racist encounters, which led some to question their future in nursing. We are now undertaking some follow up research to further explore and explain the novel concept of racism fatigue in terms of how it is experienced and impacts First Nations nurses in both Australia and abroad.

Another finding was that some nurses, especially those with fairer skin, faced racist challenges to their cultural identity, as they were often questioned about their background and belongingness to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This was found to further complicate nurses’ sense of identity and added to the emotional burden they carried.

We found that as many First Nations nurses experienced ongoing overt and covert racism, they became more confident in speaking out against racism when they witnessed or experienced it. Some participants shared stories of directly confronting colleagues or speaking up in situations where racism was evident.

Our study calls for the need for greater awareness and action to address racism within healthcare systems and nursing specifically as this damaging issue is often overlooked or even refuted. We emphasise the need for new policies that promote cultural safety, better representation of Indigenous nurses throughout the nursing workforce and leadership positions, and initiatives to call out, prevent, and address racism when it occurs.

The compete research article is available here: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ experiences of racism at work.

Authors

Associate Professor Micah DJ Peters PhD is the Director of the ANMF National Policy Research Unit (Federal Office) based in the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia.

Professor Odette Best is the Pro-Vice Chancellor (First Nations) based at the University of Southern Queensland.

References

1. Best O, Bayliss L, Hodgman S, Peters MDJ. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ experiences of racism at work. Collegian. 2025. [Online First]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2024.12.004

This research project was supported by the University of Southern Queensland, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) South Australian Branch and Federal Office, and the University of South Australia’s Clinical and Health Sciences Unit.

The authors acknowledge the collaboration and input of co-authors, Luke Bayliss (Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University) and Sye Hodgman First Nations Strategy, Policy and Research Officer at the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union).