Commentary: Understanding and Disrupting Whiteness in Nursing.

Abstract

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a commentary on the article, How Whiteness Shapes Nursing in Canada - What Does the Literature Say? A Rapid Review (Walker et al. 2025). I want to begin by congratulating the authors on completing a rapid review on a very important topic. As the authors note, "The profession of nursing has an obligation to carefully self-examine so it does not further contribute to systemic racism" (Walker et al. 2025: 30). A key strength of the review is the naming and description of key concepts. I also appreciate the limitation noted by the authors in that the method could, in itself, be a limitation as it reflects a synthesis of a particular approach to knowledge and thus may restrict the overall understanding of this issue. It is in this spirit that I offer my perspective, recognizing that it is informed by my identity as a South Asian nurse and healthcare leader. Through this commentary, I want to make three key points that I hope will go beyond the awareness of problematization to deeper opportunities for action.