From Hospital to College: Black Nurse Leaders and the Rise of Collegiate Nursing Schools

Understanding the invisibility of black nurse leaders using a black feminist poststructuralist framework

“…Flynn () described how this oppression is evident by the fact that only 13 Black nurses graduated from a nursing programme in Ontario, Canada between 1948–1961. Hine () also described the context in the USA, in that as nursing schools emerged, Black women were denied admission. Despite extensive experience working as untrained nurses in providing care to family members or as domestic workers, Black women faced tremendous challenges when they attempted to enrol in professional nursing schools (Hine, ).…”

“…Hine () also described the context in the USA, in that as nursing schools emerged, Black women were denied admission. Despite extensive experience working as untrained nurses in providing care to family members or as domestic workers, Black women faced tremendous challenges when they attempted to enrol in professional nursing schools (Hine, ). For example, Hine explains how entrance guidelines stipulated the entry of only one Black student per year.…”

“…Flynn () points out how Black nurses recount experiences of racism and discrimination on their journey to becoming a nurse between 1940–1970 as well as in the profession itself. This is significant because these challenges have been present since Black people first gained entry to nursing schools in the late 1940s and it continues to persist today (Flynn, ; Hine, ).…”

“…The Black nurse and in particular, the Black nurse leader is often absent in discussion. Not only are Black nurse leaders absent but their experiences, interpretations and ideas are also often rendered invisible (Hine, ; Mirza, ). Diversity in nursing leadership has the potential to result in significant benefits for patients as it is more inclusive of diverse cultural needs while also addressing harmful unconscious biases and assumptions (Munn, ).…”

“…Marginalised groups, particularly Black people, have struggled to gain representation and visibility within the nursing profession for decades (Calliste, ; Etowa et al., ; Flynn, ; Hagey et al., ; Hine, ; Premji & Etowa, ). For example, transformational leadership is considered to be central to nursing practice and is often regarded as the gold standard of leadership (Cope & Murray, ).…”