Although the life expectancy of Australia’s First Peoples has slightly improved in recent years the burden of disease continues to be unacceptably high. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce is integral to a health system that can meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health and wellbeing needs and improve population health outcomes.

Key Findings:

• The literature review reflects that to date there has been insufficient focus and research on this important area for strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. 
• It is well recognised that there continues to be a significant shortfall in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. A key challenge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander managers in both community-controlled and government health services is the recruitment, support, development and retention of a suitably skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional workforce to meet the health and wellbeing needs of their local community. 
• There was very limited literature directly on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals in entering, and progressing, their careers within health services. A few common themes did emerge with the issue of endemic racism as the most significant in impacting on work and career experiences leading to attrition and burnout.
• In addressing the factors that facilitate and impede career development and advancement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce it can be concluded that there is a need for further research in this area and a stronger integration of the potential interactions that may occur between individual, organisational and systemic policy approaches.