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May 28, 2024 Story by: Editor
Racism in the healthcare system not only affects patients but also deeply traumatizes Black women who work within it.
To comprehend the complex relationship Black women have with the healthcare system, we must delve into its history of trauma and indifference.
A stark example of this is the case of Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, three enslaved women in Alabama. Dr. Marion Sims, known as the Father of Modern Gynecology, conducted experiments on them without anesthesia, despite its availability, under the racist belief that Black people felt less pain than white people. This harmful notion persisted so long that it was still present in the nursing textbook “Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning” until its removal by Pearson in 2017, and it continues to pervade modern healthcare.
Lucy underwent a grueling, hour-long surgery that caused her severe pain and resulted in blood poisoning, taking her two to three months to recover. Anarcha, who was 17 when the surgeries began, endured 30 operations over four years.
Black women facing such discrimination as patients also encounter its effects when they become healthcare professionals.
A 2023 Penn State study found that Black nurse practitioners often identify health inequities affecting their patients and strive to address these issues. Black nurses feel a responsibility to highlight these disparities, dedicating their free time to advocate for patients and raise concerns with administrators.
However, while administrators often verbally agree on the need to address health inequities, their inaction leads to further clinician burnout. This burnout is compounded by the personal experiences of racism and microaggressions that Black nurses endure in the workplace.
“Participants consistently noted that while administrators often agreed verbally with the need to address health inequities, few systemic changes occurred. This ‘lip service’ contributed to feelings of increasing burnout especially among participants who had themselves experienced instances of racism or microaggressions in the workplace. Taking on this labor in addition to their clinical roles, also while navigating workplace discrimination, led to an overwhelming sense of burnout and emotional exhaustion.” Source: Dallas Weekly
The loss of a diverse pool of nurses is detrimental, as the Penn State study suggests that nurse practitioners from diverse backgrounds are crucial for improving health equity.
A study on structural racism in healthcare found that Black women are “overrepresented” in the lowest-wage jobs, particularly in direct care roles, which come with higher risks and more frequent work-related injuries.
Despite their significant roles, opportunities for Black women to advance from direct care positions are limited, as noted by the American Nurses Association. This lack of advancement and inclusion has severe consequences for Black patients.
For example, Black, Brown, and Native women are two to three times more likely than White women to die from mostly preventable pregnancy-related complications. Overall, this leads to poorer treatment outcomes.
Black nurses often advocate for patients, and Black patients are more likely to trust Black doctors, according to a 2021 Stanford study. Ensuring the inclusion and comfort of Black healthcare professionals is essential for preventing health disparities. Responding effectively to their feedback can reduce burnout and enhance patient care.
To create a better environment for Black nurses, Health Affairs suggests increasing wages for direct care workers to reflect the risks they take and offering more career mobility opportunities. Providing a more inclusive education is crucial, ensuring that nursing textbooks and lessons do not diminish the significance of Black pain. These steps can pave the way for a more diverse and effective healthcare workforce.
