National Commission on Racism Seeks Dialogue with Nurses

On January 25, AACN and other leading nursing organizations convened to launch the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. The Commission will examine the issue of racism within nursing nationwide and describe the impact on nurses, patients, communities, and health care systems to motivate all nurses to confront systemic racism. Dr. Vernell DeWitty, AACN’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, is the association’s representative on the Commission.

The Commission is led by the American Nurses Association, National Black Nurses Association, National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations, and National Association of Hispanic Nurses. The Commission members and organizations represent a broad continuum of nursing practice, ethnically diverse groups, and regions across the country.

To further inform their work, the Commission is engaging in an open dialogue with nurses to discuss direct and indirect experiences of racism within the workplace as a nurse. Nurses are invited to participate in a listening session to share experiences during one of the following sessions in February. If you would like to participate, please email practice@ana.org with your desired session date and time.

February Focus Group Dates:

Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 4:00 -5:30 pm (ET)

Friday, February 26, 2021, 12:00 -1:30 pm (ET)