An Open Letter

Abstract

Dear Nursing Colleagues, I am a nurse of color doing my best to be my best self and to stay authentic. It has not been easy to do so in spite of my educational preparation, my accomplishments, and the unnecessary but incessant demands of me to prove my abilities. I had no idea that in 2022, after years of being a member of the most trusted profession, the process metrics (hiring, promotion, evaluation) and the experiences of oppression and suffering would be remarkably like those of the 1960s. The weathering from such day-after-day, month-after-month, yearafter-year demands is taking its toll. My headspace is like a snow globe that is constantly being shaken, and occasionally I utter a sigh because the hurt is too deep for words. Furthermore, I am not alone. It seems that the things I am experiencing are common everyday laments of many of my colleagues. Since I have been told on so many occasions to claim, name, and aim the harm as vital steps in addressing and disrupting them, I have begun a list, not derived from research findings but based on my positionality within the profession.