Towards Decolonizing the Self: Nurse Educators’ Engagement in Personal Mastery

Abstract

Background: Nursing education in South Africa is undergoing reforms to respond to changes brought about by a new higher education qualifications framework. These reforms are happening in an era when leaders, educators, and students in higher education institutions are engaged in dialogs about decolonizing institutions, curricula, and pedagogy. Of the numerous calls for this decolonization, few have given attention to decolonizing the self. Confronting coloniality in educational institutions may elicit resistance to change and feelings of discomfort, anxiety, and fear. Engagement in personal mastery practices could be useful for nurse educators engaged in efforts to confront and deal with their own discourses that may embody and promote coloniality. Aim: This article explores how nurse educators can utilize personal mastery in dealing with their own perceived coloniality, focusing on taking ownership of self-leadership during a reflection on one's own behavior as a nurse educator. Methods: Drawn from the findings of a mixed-methods study, the integrated data prompted three themes addressing self-leadership: Taking ownership, motivational factors, and facilitating self-leadership in nurse educators. Conclusion: Engagement in personal mastery could assist nurse educators in bringing about decoloniality in nursing education institutions. Implications for Practice: Institutions should provide nurse educators with environments that support continuous professional development.