Institutions of Care: A Qualitative Study with Ancestral Black Nova Scotian Nurses in Healthcare

BackgroundAncestral Black Nova Scotian (ABNS) nurses are a culturally distinct group yet, little is known about their experiences. Available literature suggests that ABNS nurses are underrepresented in nursing and that they encounter discrimination throughout the health system. Understanding the experiences of ABNS nurses facilitates addressing antiBlack racism in nursing and healthcare.PurposeThis study sought to critically examine the leadership experiences of ABNS nurses in healthcare.MethodsThis qualitative study was guided by Black feminist theory and involved one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews with eighteen ABNS nurses. Critical Discourse Analysis was applied in the reading of interview transcripts to examine words used by participants in relation to nursing and healthcare. The findings are presented in two conceptual themes.ResultsBlack Tax in Nursing captures the added physical, mental, and spiritual strain experienced by ABNS nurses navigating nursing and healthcare. Black Tax encompassed everyday microaggressions and systemic processes, including intra-profession tensions. Integrating into nursing was made increasingly difficult by a reinforcing network of gatekeepers, policies, and structural design. Nova Scotia Healthcare as an Archaic Institution depicts an antiquated "broken" paternalistic system that did not empower patients nor promote health. Additionally, nursing education was accused of reinforcing negative stereotypes, competency gaps, and mistrust with patients.ConclusionsInstitution of Care show how ABNS nurses challenge institutional standards and norms in their approach to nursing. ABNS nurses navigate nursing and the health system by maintaining a community-oriented approach to health. Addressing anti-Black racism in nursing and healthcare requires attention to multi-level processes within institutions.