"The thing behind the thing": White supremacy and interdisciplinary faculty in schools of nursing

The work of race, culture, and ethnicity in nursing literature, 1970 to 1985

BACKGROUND

In our current attempts to address health inequities and injustices, it is crucial to critically examine the evidence base from which we are working. The concepts of "race," "ethnicity," and "culture" have been persistently under-examined in healthcare literature.

PURPOSE

Earlier reviews found that terms relating to race and ethnicity frequently go undefined, while euphemisms are used to avoid naming racism. This paper will elucidate the ways in which these concepts were put to work in nursing texts between 1970 and 1985.

METHODS

This critical narrative review utilizes critical discourse-historical analysis to illuminate mechanisms through which racism operates in nursing and healthcare more broadly.

DISCUSSION

Three operational categories, named for titles of representative works, are identified for concepts of racialized social difference during this time period: Working with others who are not like me, Biologic variation in health and illness, and When your patient is Black West Indian.

CONCLUSION

The wide lens provided by temporal distance, with the benefit of historical perspective, can help attune us to the function of these concepts in the present.

A Role for History in Inclusive Nursing Education

BACKGROUND

History is a critical methodology that provides perspective on complex issues in health care today.

METHOD

This article draws on a selection of interdisciplinary scholarship on the history of nursing and health care, including work by scholars of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) scholars; and disability studies scholars, to demonstrate the role of history in inclusive nursing education.

RESULTS

History provides critical perspective regarding how race, gender, class, sexuality, and disability have shaped the development of nursing and the health care system, affected who has been able to access education and careers in nursing, and influenced Americans' access to and experiences of health care.

CONCLUSION

History prepares nursing students to better understand the reasons for and implications of persistent health disparities and inequities in access to nursing education and health care services, providing them with knowledge to advocate for greater health equity and social justice during their nursing careers. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(8):469-475.].