Meaningful scholarship collaborations are needed to advance the nurse practitioner role in Africa

Document Type

Article

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa

Abstract

Experiences from the Field" (Gray et al., 2023) provides a historical examination of the development of advanced nursing roles in Africa and offers policy and workforce recommendations based on events supported by prominent nursing organizations. However, the paper highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the complex challenges hindering the expansion of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles in Africa, particularly in light of the persistent colonial legacy that marginalizes African voices and expertise. The analysis, while insightful, is critiqued for its limited scope, overlooking the diverse geopolitical, cultural, and social dynamics of the continent, and focusing predominantly on Anglophone Africa. Furthermore, discrepancies in findings between this paper and other studies underscore the necessity for more comprehensive evidence generation and harmonization. The paper advocates for meaningful collaborations involving African scholars to foster a more inclusive and equitable approach to APN role development. It emphasizes the importance of challenging Western-centric knowledge paradigms and addressing coloniality ideas to unlock the full potential of APNs/NPs in addressing Africa's healthcare challenges. Without such transformations, the expansion of APN roles in Africa risks perpetuating existing power imbalances and hindering progress towards a more equitable healthcare system.

Publication (Name of Journal)

International Nursing Review

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12904

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