Nursing student perceptions of racism and health disparities in the United States: A critical race theory perspective

Background

Limited research has been done on nursing students’ awareness of racial disparities and their readiness to address bias and racism in clinical practice.

Purpose

This study investigated nursing students' perceptions of how racial disparities affect health outcomes, including maternal outcomes, in the United States.

Methods

Interpretive description was used and supported by the critical race theory as a framework to guide the data collection, analysis, and interpretation to understand participants’ perceptions surrounding racism and health disparities.

Discussion

Nurse educators should guide students to look beyond individual behavioral and risk factors and consider systemic issues as a leading contributors to health disparities.

Conclusion

The most critical finding was the lack of participants’ understanding of systemic racism and its impact on health disparities. While they often attributed racial disparities to low socioeconomic status and lack of education, they did not understand the relationships between social determinants of health and systemic racism.