An exploration of the experience of Black and Minority Ethnic nurse educators in UK universities

Book Summary
Research shows that racism affects the working lives of nurses and nurse academics, as well as healthcare service delivery and outcomes. This book looks at the impact of racism, from experiences of microaggression to discrimination and structural and institutionalised racism.
Focusing on the work of six doctoral researchers and practitioners who have chosen to address and investigate the racism they experience, witness or observe in the UK’s National Health Service and Universities, this book
includes personal reflections on their findings. The substantive chapters are framed by a discussion of policy and research on racism, thoughts on research supervision within this field and a drawing together of the key themes developed through this book.
Giving voice to nurses’ and lecturers’ responses to racism in nursing education and practice, this is an important contribution for students, researchers and practitioners with an interest in health inequalities, healthcare organisations, research methods and workforce development.

Chapter Summary
Research has shown that black ethnic minority academics are subjected to discrimination, particularly in the form of racial microaggressions. This results in marginalisation, damaged self-esteem and limited opportunities for career advancement. Black female academics face even greater challenges due to the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender and class. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on the experiences of black female ethnic minority nurse academics. Therefore, this chapter aims to examine sections of an interview transcript from a PhD thesis, focusing on one individual named ‘Pearl.’ To analyse Pearl’s data, a narrative methodology was employed, utilising a dialogic/performance approach that emphasises the importance of the narrative to both the storyteller (Pearl) and the listeners. This approach is supported by critical race and feminist theorists and will be used to better understand Pearl’s story. In her narrative, Pearl described a culture of white, male hegemony at her higher education institution, where black female academics experience sexism, bullying, systemic racism and interpersonal racism. Her story also highlighted the impact of racial trauma. Despite these obstacles, Pearl did not consider herself a victim and achieved success in academia. The intersecting systems of oppression can significantly shape the experience of black female nurse academics.