Assessing Color-Blind Racism in Nursing Students

Abstract

The nursing workforce does not mirror the demographics of the United States, contributing to health disparities related to race. The purpose of this study was to assess possible changes in racial bias among undergraduate nursing students. Students in their first (n = 58) or fifth (n = 50) semester completed the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale via an online survey. Fifth-semester students reported significantly more racial bias than first-semester students. Further investigation revealed more influence of students' race: White students indicated greater color-blind attitudes than students of color. Recommendations for integrating multicultural curricula into nursing programs are included.