Nurses as Allies Against Racism and Discrimination

The first article in the latest issue of ANS is titled “The Role of Nurses as Allies Against Racism and Discrimination: An Analysis of Key Resistance Movements of Our Time” authored by Jennifer Weitzel, MS, RN; Jeneile Luebke, MS, RN; Linda Wesp, PhD, RN, FNP-BC; Maria Del Carmen Graf, MSN, RN, CTN-A; Ashley Ruiz, BSN, RN; Anne Dressel, PhD, CFPH, MLIS, MA; and Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu, PhD, RN. This important article is also available for continuing education credit, and it is available at no cost on the ANS website while it is featured.  The authors shared this background information about their work:

For this article, a group of ethnic and culturally diverse scholars joined in a collaborative effort to highlight and promote the role of nurses as allies against racism and discrimination. As a foreign-born Hispanic nurse, my contribution consisted in giving a voice and bringing awareness to the problematic suffered by undocumented immigrants living in the United States during times of openly exhibited xenophobia. Our manuscript is a call for all nurses to take action, become allies and promote a culture that fosters social justice and solidarity- Maria Del Carmen

As a second-generation multiracial Filipina American nurse scholar, whose interests focus on examining nurse-patient interactions following experiences of violence, I feel this manuscript speaks to the important role and responsibility that nurses hold in partnering with individuals and communities of which we serve. Particularly individuals and communities facing experiences of injustice. We hope this manuscript demonstrates the ways in which nurses hold a position of power capable of addressing health inequalities due to racism through establishing healthy partnerships as allies and maintaining solidarity with those we serve to change future health outcomes. – Ashley Ruiz

As a nurse scholar who is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, I felt that my contribution to this manuscript was a crucial step as a leader in my academic and tribal community. This manuscript is an exemplar for how nurses can use their collective power and voices as allies and advocates to address issues of racial inequities and health disparities. This manuscript also highlights the key resistance movements of our time and how nurses have been in the field and on the frontlines of those movements, not just at the bedside. As advocates and allies, we acknowledge the role that historical trauma and structural violence plays in reproducing inequities that manifest as health disparities and poor health outcomes. – Jeneile Luebke

L-R: Jennifer Weitzel, Jeneile Luebke, Linda Wesp, Maria Del Carmen Graf, Ashley Ruiz, Anne Dressel, Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu

Since 1965, UW-Milwaukee College of Nursing has developed a tradition of excellence. Dedicated to providing academic programs of the highest quality that are at the forefront of nursing, the college has been widely recognized for its innovation, leadership in the profession of nursing and extensive collaboration with diverse community agencies. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the college in the top 15 percent of nursing schools with graduate programs.

With our long-standing history of academic excellence, UW-Milwaukee is the ideal choice for students interested in a PhD in Nursing. The PhD in Nursing is a research-intensive program that prepares nurse scientists for roles in research, education, practice, health policy and leadership. Students work closely with faculty mentors to plan and conduct cutting-edge and innovative research using a variety of research methods.