Nursing Me Black

Red. Pink. Purple. Green. Yellow. Many of these shades I had already seen in my clinicals. Whether it was from vomit, blood, or the precarious hospital lunches, I always came across some primary’s shade. However, I was continuously bereft of my own color. Black. Why didn’t I see anyone like me? It was like I was a needle cap placed among a sea of cotton balls. It just seemed…off. Would I ever connect with nurses that had the same background as me? Is it even possible? Where is my version of Florence Nightingale? Perhaps I should get connected and join:

Association of Black Nurses
Black Nurses Society
Black Nurses R Us
Nurses Who Are Black Inc.
You’re Black? And a Nurse? Join Us!

Maybe this was my ticket to finally feel like I’m among the ranks of professional individuals, to belong even if it is dangerously close to the sidelines. As a nursing student, I always felt like I had to prove myself to my patients and my instructors. Even though I come from the fabulous city of Chicago, the majority of black nurses work for the county and therefore I was never in contact with them to be inspired, to feel safe, to find a reason to keep going.

But I did.

It was arduous, daunting, and exciting all at the same time, but I steered clear of anything that was a dead giveaway for an excuse. Since I come from a society that is seeping with self-doubt and a “crabs in a bucket” mentality, it wasn’t a pretty journey; that’s what made it perfect. It feels so rewarding to have little girls run up to me and say that they want to be a nurse now that they’ve seen someone actually come through the woodwork. It's like I give them hope for something that typically seems so unattainable. They have yet to experience true hardships and challenges, but hopefully I've shown them that it's all worth it in the end. They just need the passion to overcome any obstacle.

But you know what I realized?

It’s not about being Black and therefore feeling so accomplished about the day’s work. It’s about being a human being and a nurse. It’s about recognizing your own potential before you begin concentrating on the color of your skin. We don’t need...

Association of Black Nurses
Black Nurses Society
Black Nurses R Us
Nurses Who Are Black Inc.
You’re Black? And a Nurse? Join Us!

...to tell us that we’re important. We can only find confidence within ourselves. We have already made great strides towards becoming whatever we want to be and our future looks even brighter.

Maybe it’s best for us all to figuratively remove the rods and cones from our eyes and become colorblind. A White nurse is a Black nurse is a Hispanic nurse is a Filipino nurse is a Chinese nurse is an Indian nurse. I plan on doing so just to show people how beneficial it is.

Yes, we may be outnumbered as nurses when it comes to statistics, but I choose to think of us as diamonds; rare and hard to come by!


Be Human. Be Beautiful. But most of all, Be…lieve.


NurseThis21, BSN, RN
UIC Alumna