Racism as a Public Health Issue for Nurses of Color in Clinical and Academic Settings: Ten Nurses Tell Their Stories.

AIM: The aim of this study was to bring awareness to how racism and discrimination, accompanied by bullying and incivility, negatively impact the health of nurses of color. BACKGROUND: Racism and discrimination encountered in the daily lives of nurses of color present risk for psychological and physiological damage to their health. Repeated exposure to racism and discrimination leads to cumulative stress that may pose a negative impact on the health status of affected nurses. METHODS: Phenomenology served as the methodology for this research study. The principal investigator transcribed and coded data from 10 nurse participants. RESULTS: Data illustrate a pattern of nurses of color experiencing discrimination and racism, with racism being a potential public health issue. Their stories may empower others to make positive, productive decisions and persevere. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to racism and its related potential effects on nurses' health presents a grave concern for nurses of color.

Cultural Considerations in the Care of Psychiatric Patients: A Case Study on Fright.

When providing psychiatric care to patients, cultural considerations are necessary to ensure that patients' individual healthcare needs are known and addressed. Failure to incorporate cultural considerations such as food preferences, gender congruency with nursing care, awareness of faith and religious practices, and the use of alternative medicinal and herbal approaches to healthcare treatment, can result in poor treatment engagement and outcomes for patients. The provision of culturally competent health care for psychiatric patients must be patient-centered; with nurses and all healthcare team members collaborating with patients and their families (significant others) in the delivery of safe, high quality, and effective care.

Complimentary Care: When Our Patients Request to Pray.

Prayer is viewed in modern medicine as a complimentary alternative treatment. However, to many patients, it is a source of hope and comfort. Patients, when facing illness, advanced disease, disability or death, can benefit from prayer. For healthcare providers, comfort with praying with patients can be deemed as unprofessional conduct or blurred therapeutic boundaries, particularly, when prayer is offered to patients' unsolicited by the patient or their family member(s). Therefore, it is imperative that healthcare providers await the request of prayer by the patient before prayer is initiated.