Structural Racism in America: A Summative Content Analysis of National Nursing Organization Statements

Abstract

The public and brutal death of Black American George Floyd was a tragedy that had the potential to push the profession of nursing toward a perspective transformation. A summative content analysis of 49 professional nursing organization statements served as a pilot to explore the research question: Did the nursing profession experience a perspective transformation relating to racial justice and health equity following the death of George Floyd? Texts from the statements were analyzed for the presence of an equity lens, which is necessary for a perspective transformation. Each statement was assigned a rating score to determine the organization's readiness for a perspective transformation based on equity competencies adapted from CommonHealth Action. Findings demonstrated that the nursing profession is beginning to articulate the issue of racism in health care and is committed to advocating for patients of color; however, further understanding of the historical context of structural racism and the development of meaningful policy remains necessary for the profession to experience a perspective transformation.

Keywords

structural racism social justice professional nursing organization health equity

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