Racism and the well-being of nurses of color: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Structural disparities in the United States (U.S.) healthcare system negatively impact care access and quality for racial and ethnic minorities. The predominantly White nursing workforce does not reflect the nation's diverse population. Enhancing workforce diversity is crucial to addressing these issues.

PURPOSE

This scoping review investigates associations between experiences of racism and the well-being of racial/ethnic minority nurses in the U.S., identifying existing evidence and literature gaps.

METHODS

Utilizing Joanna Briggs' Scoping Review Methodology and PRISMA-ScR standards, we screened eight databases; 31 studies met our inclusion criteria.

DISCUSSION

Racism is consistently associated with worse psychological and/or physical outcomes among nurses of color across methodologically inconsistent studies. Future research should expand upon the nascent, methodologically inconsistent research reviewed herein to identify and eliminate sources of racism in healthcare and support a diverse nursing workforce.

CONCLUSION

Racism can undermine the well-being of nursing professionals. Policy changes to address racism in healthcare are needed.