Nurses Must Fight Against Racism. ANA's President Shares How
Posted almost 4 years ago by Meredith Roberts
Ernest J. Grant, president of the American Nurses Association, discusses how racism is a 'public health crisis' and affects nurses and patients.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Nurses are obligated to speak up when they see racism occurring.
Racism manifests itself as food deserts, decreased access to healthcare, and barriers to nurses' career development....
Multiple nursing groups, including National Nurses United, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Nurses Association, have issued statements regarding Floyd's death and the issue of racism in the United States.
"As a nation, we have witnessed yet again an act of incomprehensible racism and police brutality, leading to the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd. This follows other recent unjustified killings of black men and women, such as Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor to name a few," said Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of the ANA in the association's statement. "As a black man and registered nurse, I am appalled by senseless acts of violence, injustice, and systemic racism and discrimination. Even I have not been exempt from negative experiences with racism and discrimination. The Code of Ethics for Nurses obligates nurses to be allies and to advocate and speak up against racism, discrimination and injustice. This is non-negotiable."
I recently spoke with Grant about racism, its effects, and how nurses can work for change. The following link is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation.