Hidden figures of nursing: The historical contributions of Black nurses and a narrative for those who are unnamed, undocumented and underrepresented

Abstract

Hidden figures of nursing: The historical contributions of Black nurses and a narrative for those who are unnamed, undocumented and underrepresented Unless I am allowed to tell the story of my life in my own way, I cannot tell it at all.

Nursing Leadership for 21st Century

“…The medical model, combined with sexism and gender-based roles, has influenced many healthcare organizations' nursing leadership behaviors ( 4 ) . There are also hierarchical issues within our profession and our narrative have privileged the voices of the status quo and in some instances perpetuated structural racism ( 5 ) .…”

Updates from the Literature, November/December 2021

“…The following 2 articles address race and nursing from a policy 1 and historical 2 perspective. The policy piece focuses more on nurses in perinatal care, 1 whereas the historical piece paints a short, sweeping picture of Black nurses in the diaspora 2 …”

“…This piece provides a brief overview of Black women in nursing and, perhaps more importantly, a reference list for those interested in reading more about the contributions of Black women in the diaspora to nursing and to healing more broadly 2 . Mary Jane Seacole, a contemporary of Florence Nightingale who served in the Crimea and left an account of her life, starts the article.…”

“…Seacole was from Kingston but practiced as a nurse all over the world (Constantinople, London, Haiti) as well as in her hometown. Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, who both worked as nurses, are featured, and the article provides citations of their nursing work 2 . Less familiar to some might be the work of the Black Angels, a group of 300 Black nurses who volunteered to care for patients with tuberculosis at the Seaview Hospital when white nurses refused.…”

Application of Juneteenth to Nursing

“…Nonetheless, the work continues, and every citizen, profession, and institution have a role in assisting the country to emerge from its worst moments to a more robust, freer, and more just Nation, including the nursing profession. From my perspective as an African American nurse and an urban university faculty member, a literature review on racism in nursing revealed parallel information about nations' legacies of structural racism and inequities in nursing 3–6. One would like to think otherwise, but evidence suggests the legacy of racial inequities in the United States has influenced the development of the nursing profession.…”