Black Nurse Associations
2020 presented a sobering intersection of two major health disparities in our country: racism and a pandemic. Of surprise to no one, a disturbing trend soon emerged: BIPOC minorities—and especially Black minorities—were contracting and dying from COVID-19 in far greater numbers than caucasians. The reasons behind this were readily apparent—not only do Black workers make up a larger proportion of frontline workers, but they are also wary of trusting medical institutions that, for decades, have failed them.
Representation matters, perhaps most especially in healthcare, and the training, retention, and promotion of Black nurses has never been so important.
Nurse are key players not only for the delivery of care but also in the administration of healthcare on the systemic level. However, our country’s history of systemic racial bias highlights a glaring need to place Black nurses in leadership positions, where their voices can be heard.
One means of advancing the role Black nurses play in healthcare is through nursing associations designed for and by them. The adoption of anti-racist frameworks starting in nursing school curriculum and extending up through post-graduate practice is supported by these organizations. Below is a list of several such organizations and how to get involved!
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) — The National Black Nurses Association was born of two smaller, California-based groups that merged in the 1970s: the Council of Black Nurses (Los Angeles) and the Bay Area Black Nurses Association. Their mission is bold: “to provide a forum for collective action by African American nurses to represent and provide a forum for black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of healthcare for persons of color.” A national conference is held every year and offers up to 23 CEUs over 5 days, in addition to career fairs, scholarships, nursing education opportunities, and of course—networking. Members can either opt for a yearly membership, ranging from $60-$150, or invest in a lifetime membership for $2,000.
Black Nurses Rock (BNR) — Founded in 2014, BNR is a social-media savvy, energy-infused organization. Their mission — “An organization with a focus to foster a positive environment of professional growth and development. We provide support and mentorship to nurses in an effort to elevate our profession and improve our communities” — has attracted 174,000 Black nurses across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Germany. Membership is big on connection, with an emphasis on matching mentors and preceptors with newcomers, CEUs, local events, and assistance with publication, finance, and insurance help.
National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA) — The NCEMNA operates as an umbrella association for 5 major BIPOC nurse associations, including the NBNA. This umbrella organization’s mission works to unite these organizations into a common goal: to become “a unified body advocating for equity and justice in healthcare,” and as such, they are inclusive to all. Their past accomplishments have included collaborative, research-based workshops, tackling the ethnic minority nurse shortage, and publication of papers related to ethnic minority health. Most notably, in 2020, they published an official statement — On Violence Against Black Men — following the killing of George Floyd, calling for justice, peace, and a call to action against systemic racism.
National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA) — Included on this list as a smaller niche Black nurse association is NANNNA, with an amazing backstory. Seeing an opportunity for public health outreach to decrease the morbidity and mortality of African immigrants from preventable chronic illness, Dr. Ogiehor-Enoma organized a grassroots effort in to combat this. Their efforts were a success, and in 2007, they tackled another crisis affecting the Nigerian community there—domestic violence. This movement inspired a collaboration with several nursing organizations, and NANNNA was born. As stated by their organization, collaboration and community outreach remains a top priority for them; NANNNA strives to “create opportunity for collaboration in the health-care community both locally and internationally to improve the Nursing profession and quality of health of American and Nigerian citizens.”