Investigating Māori nurse leaders’ experiences within nursing

Abstract There is an abundance of literature related to Māori leadership. However, there is a lack of literature specific to Māori leadership within nursing. The absence of literature with a Māori nursing focus is problematic. The health system transformation underway in Aotearoa, New Zealand requires Māori leadership to identify how the system contributes to inequities in health outcomes, while also looking at Indigenous innovations based on Mātauranga Māori for defining and refining the scope of problems and solutions. Māori nurses are expected to be a part of this leadership process, in their professional nursing roles and to advance changes in systems and structures. The study explored experiences of structural and personal support offered to Māori nurses in leadership roles and identified practices which enhance the development of Māori nurse leaders. The literature provided corresponding themes with the experiences shared by the Māori nurse leaders. This study aimed to explore the elements that provide structural and personal support to Māori nurse leaders in their role. The inspiration of this study stems from my own experiences, some of which correlates with the experiences of the Māori nurse leaders. The relevance of this study is underpinned by a Kaupapa Māori methodology as this framework embodies a Māori epistemology through its methods and ensures the values, beliefs and practices of the Māori nurse leaders were embraced. The ethical considerations of the study were supported through Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and the Māori ethical framework Te Ara Tika. The study highlighted invaluable concepts to support the Māori nurse leaders and the experiences they shared offer a catalyst for change to support Māori leadership within nursing.