Nursing student perceptions of racism and health disparities in the United States: A critical race theory perspective

Monika Costa; Michele K Griswold; Lucinda Canty

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102172

Nursing student perceptions of racism and health disparities in the United States: A critical race theory perspective

Nurs Outlook. 2024 Apr 17;72(3):102172. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102172. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Monika Costa¹, Michele K Griswold², Lucinda Canty³

Affiliations

¹ School of Interdisciplinary Health and Science, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT. Electronic address: mcosta@usj.edu.
² Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT.
³ Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA.

PMID: 38636305
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102172

Abstract

Background: Limited research has been done on nursing students' awareness of racial disparities and their readiness to address bias and racism in clinical practice.

Purpose: This study investigated nursing students' perceptions of how racial disparities affect health outcomes, including maternal outcomes, in the United States.

Methods: Interpretive description was used and supported by the critical race theory as a framework to guide the data collection, analysis, and interpretation to understand participants' perceptions surrounding racism and health disparities.

Discussion: Nurse educators should guide students to look beyond individual behavioral and risk factors and consider systemic issues as a leading contributors to health disparities.

Conclusion: The most critical finding was the lack of participants' understanding of systemic racism and its impact on health disparities. While they often attributed racial disparities to low socioeconomic status and lack of education, they did not understand the relationships between social determinants of health and systemic racism.

Keywords: Maternal health outcomes; Nursing education; Racial disparities; Student perceptions.