Call to Action: Integrating Anti-racist Philosophies in Dismantling Racism and Anti-Black Racism in Nursing Education in Canada.

Abstract

Despite nursing's stated mandate of health equity and social justice, concrete steps to address racism and anti-Black racism in the profession and nursing education remain mainly non-significant and are often seen as performative. It is crucial to implement tangible measures to dismantle racism and anti-Black racism in nursing education to address racial health disparities. Throughout history, nursing education has been shaped by colonial and Eurocentric ideologies, leading to the silencing and erasure of the knowledge, culture, perspectives, and ways of knowing of Black and other racialized communities. Consequently, urgent action is required to dismantle embedded racism and anti-Black racism in the nursing profession. Drawing on anti-racist philosophies, we argue that dismantling racism in nursing education goes beyond superficial discussions of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Instead, it demands a proactive approach to tackle the underlying causes of racial inequities. In this article, we propose several recommendations and implications for nursing educators, researchers, policymakers, and educational institutions to eliminate racism and anti-Black racism in both nursing education and practice. These recommendations include acknowledging the historical and contemporary impacts of racism and anti-Black racism on the health and well-being of Black individuals, engaging in critical self-reflexivity, integrating and prioritizing Black knowledge and perspectives in nursing education, practice, and research, and intentionally adopting anti-racist pedagogy.