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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period have exacerbated workforce challenges for nurses and midwives. The increasingly complex nature of healthcare, combined with rising workloads and staff attrition highlights the need for initiatives that improve workplace satisfaction and retention. In response, mentoring programs aimed at enhancing job satisfaction and retention are being increasingly implemented., Aims: This study sought to measure the workplace satisfaction of nurses and midwives across five New South Wales local health districts, utilising data captured from a wider study investigating the implementation of the Deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Mentoring program., Design: An exploratory, mixed methods study using purposive sampling was employed., Methods: A secondary analysis of a modified version of the Nursing Workplace Satisfaction Questionnaire, was used to quantify intrinsic, extrinsic, and relational workplace satisfaction constructs among nursing and midwifery staff. Open ended questions included in the survey were thematically analysed using methods developed by Braun and Clarke (2022)., Results: Between June-October 2023, n =  106 participants returned the survey. Differences between intrinsic (items 2 & 5), extrinsic (item 9) relational (items 13-15) constructs were observed for health districts, Aboriginality, age, and professional role characteristics ( P  < 0.05). Five qualitative themes emerged from the data: Helping people is the priority; Teams make a difference to my workplace satisfaction; Managers impact my satisfaction; Scope and recognition; and Organisational factors., Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate noticeable differences in workforce satisfaction and retention across various factors, including workforce areas, Aboriginality, age, and professional roles. For these groups, initiatives aimed at improving satisfaction and retention should prioritise fostering teamwork and a sense of belonging, as these elements have significant impact on job satisfaction for nurses and midwives and provide valuable guidance for nursing leaders.

Introduction: This paper will describe the research protocol for the Deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Mentoring (DANMM) Project, which will determine the feasibility and acceptability of a cultural mentoring programme designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives across five diverse local health districts in New South Wales, Australia. Government and health agencies highlight the importance of culturally appropriate and safe environments for Aboriginal people. Specifically, New South Wales Health prioritises workforce strategies that support Aboriginal people to enter and stay in the health workforce. However, retaining Aboriginal nurses and midwives remains challenging. The DANMM Project aligns with these local and state-wide health plans and strategies, addressing critical issues of workforce cultural safety and retention., Methods and Analysis: A mixed-methods study design will be employed to assess feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the DANMM Programme across five publicly funded local health districts in New South Wales, Australia. Adhering to cultural safety, a project cultural governance group will be formed. Quantitative outcome measures include the use of questionnaires (Nursing Workplace Satisfaction Questionnaire, Ganngaleh nga Yagaleh Cultural Safety assessment tool). Resource implications will be measured using the Organisational Commitment and Health Professional Program Readiness Assessment Compass. These will be triangulated with individual and group yarning circles to provide a holistic evaluation of the programme., Ethics and Dissemination: The study has ethics approval: Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (#2054/23); New South Wales Health Human Research Committees (Greater Western Human Research Committee #2022/ETH01971, Murrumbidgee-site-specific approval, Sydney Local Health District-site-specific approval, Western Sydney Local Health District-site-specific approval and Mid North Coast-site-specific approval); and Charles Sturt University Human Research Committee (#2054/23). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed articles, conferences and through roundtable discussions with key stakeholders., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective/Aim : To examine the experiences of culturally safe mentoring programmes described by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives in Australia. Design : A systematic scoping review. Data Sources : The following databases were accessed: CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCO), EMCARE (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), INFORMIT (Health Collection/Indigenous Collection) and SCOPUS. Support relating to key words and appropriate databases was provided by a university librarian. Review Methods : Search terms across databases were sourced from 1997-2021, identifying a total of 161 papers. Title/abstract searches were screened against the inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in 18 papers reaching full-text review. Of the 18 full-text papers reviewed, six were eligible for inclusion in the final review. Results/Findings : Culturally safe mentorship was a positive experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives. Thematic discussion identified three key themes: Mentorship as a way forward, Culture in mentorship, and Cultural safety's role in mentorship . Discussion : Culturally safe mentoring has been a key recommendation in the nursing literature for over 20 years. There is limited knowledge on what constitutes an effective programme as mentoring programmes have not been empirically evaluated or reviewed. Conclusion : This review provides evidence that Cultural Safety and the exploration of culture impact culturally safe mentoring and can impact workforce cultural capability. Impact Statement : This review indicates that culturally safe mentoring has been a key recommendation in nursing literature for over 20 years. This review provides evidence that Cultural Safety and the exploration of culture impact culturally safe mentoring and can impact workforce cultural capability. However, there is limited knowledge of what constitutes an effective programme, as mentoring programmes have not been empirically evaluated or reviewed providing an opportunity for further research. Plain Language Summary : Little is known about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses' and midwives' perspectives of culturally safe mentoring programmes in Australia. However, mentoring programme are seen as a key workforce retention strategy. This scoping review aims to explore and interpret Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses' and midwives' perspectives of culturally safe mentoring programmes in Australia. This review concludes that mentoring programmes require content in Cultural Safety and that programmes need to be empirically evaluated.

Background : This article provides the findings of a research project which explored the experiences of participants in a mentoring programme designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives in a rural health district. Aims : It seeks to understand how a mentoring programme achieved its aims and anticipated outcomes that would ultimately inform future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce support programmes. Design : The research project used a hermeneutic phenomenological philosophical framework to conduct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's methods of yarning, which engaged in conversation around key topics with participants, followed by the research team's analysis of yarns. Methods : A qualitative study utilising purposive sampling to select participants. Participants were drawn from those who had undertaken the cultural mentoring programme and could have been either mentors or mentees. Interviews were conducted once the 12-month mentoring programme had ceased. Results : The five main themes that were drawn from the data were cultural safety, motivations, relationships, learning and support. Conclusion : Participant experiences indicate that mentoring can be an avenue for providing appropriate clinical and cultural support and a safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives. They also show that identified support roles and Aboriginal-led projects can have larger impacts; fostering organisational connections and broader feelings of cultural respect amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff beyond programme participation.

Background : Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council prescribes midwifery accreditation standards that support students' development in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and cultural safety to be deemed practice ready. However, the impact of training programmes are not widely explored. Aim : This study aimed to assess the impact of a mandatory 8-week online subject focussed on the development of culturally safe practices among midwifery students. Methods : The Ganngaleh nga Yagaleh cultural safety assessment tool was used to collect online quantitative data from post graduate midwifery students at the commencement and completion of an online subject. Results : Through a purposive sample ( n  = 10) participant perceptions of culturally safe practices remained relatively unchanged, except for three items of the Ganngaleh nga Yagaleh cultural safety assessment tool. Discussion : Findings demonstrate that when post graduate midwifery students are exposed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives of Australia's colonial history it impacts their sense of optimism, personal values and beliefs about the healthcare they will provide to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, midwifery students who self-identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, reported a decline in optimism when imagining a healthcare system free of racism. Conclusion : The subject did not impact on cultural safety scores. This may be due to prior learning of student midwives. Educators should consider building on prior knowledge in post graduate midwifery to ensure the content is contextualised to midwifery.