Educating during the COVID-19 pandemic: The motherwork of Black women nursing professionals.

Abstract

Introduction:The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) explore how Black women perceive their roles as nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (b) how Black women in nursing mobilized themselves to respond to the disproportionate numbers of Black Americans impacted by COVID-19. Method: I conducted semistructured interviews with 6 Black women nursing professionals (5 nurse practitioners and 1 registered nurse). Data were analyzed in 3 cycles: eclectic coding, focused coding, and identifying subthemes and major themes in the data. Results: I identified 1 major theme, educating as motherwork, from the data with the following subthemes: educating our own and balancing education with advocacy. Discussion: Participants provided education to Black patients about controlling underlying health conditions and making lifestyle changes to reduce the impact of COVID-19. They advocated for changes in health care that reflect the needs and sociohistorical experiences of Black Americans to improve the overall quality of health care. This type of Black women's motherwork or reproductive labor reflects a sense of Black consciousness stemming from their identity as Black women and their recognition of the importance of women in Black families and communities. Participants educated and advocated for Black patients while negotiating their own experiences with systemic racism in health care as Black women nursing professionals.

Intersectionality in nursing research: A scoping review

“…1 ). Of these, 320 articles were selected for full-text review to assess their relevance to our inclusion criteria, and 131 articles were included for the review ( Shahram et al., 2017 ; Hulko, 2009 ; Ngum Chi Watts et al., 2014 ; Kim and DeMarco, 2022 ; Thomas and Lightman, 2022 ; Edwards, 2021 ; Isaac, 2020 ; Sodré de Souza and Hiromi Tanaka, 2022 ; Kailemia et al., 2023 ; Duijs et al., 2023 ; Nepali et al., 2023 ; Haghiri-Vijeh, 2022 ; Lane, 2023 ; Holmgren et al., 2014 ; López et al., 2023 ; Cicero et al., 2023 ; Klusaritz et al., 2023 ; Aburizik et al., 2023 ; Acosta and Morris McEwen, 2023 ; Hill et al., 2023 ; Kemei et al., 2023 a; Kemei et al., 2023 b; Kemei et al., 2023 c; Luhanga et al., 2023 ; Keshet et al., 2015 ; Manca et al., 2022 ; Mehra et al., 2023 ; OjiNjideka Hemphill et al., 2023 ; Ojukwu et al., 2023 ; Salami et al., 2022 ; Nogueira et al., 2023 ; Small et al., 2022 ; Wiegand et al., 2023 ; O'Mahony et al., 2023 ; Pimienta et al., 2023 ; Giesbrecht et al., 2015 ; Crawford et al., 2023 ; Cuesta and Rämgård, 2016 ; McConnell et al., 2016 ; Höglund et al., 2016 ; Holmström et al., 2017 ; MacDonnell et al., 2017 ; Freeman et al., 2017 ; Guruge et al., 2010 ; Caiola et al., 2017 ; Coleman-Minahan, 2017 ; Van Dyke et al., 2017 ; Jörgensdotter Wegnelius and Petersson, 2018 ; Holtmann and Rickards, 2018 ; Pe...…”

“…(2021) 18 USA NR Deficit-based Explore Black women's experiences of racism during pregnancy Race, pregnancy NR Duijs et al. (2023) 23 Netherlands 2019–2020 Deficit-based Explore potential threats to the health and well-being of self-employed care workers Gender, class, race, migration and age Critical theory Edwards (2021) 6 California, North Carolina, South Carolina; USA 2020 Both strength-based and deficit-based Explore the perception of Black women nurse's roles during the COVID-19 pandemic and their views on the impact of COVID-19 on Black Americans Race, gender NR Elliott et al. (2018) 11 Canada 2013 Deficit-based Explore the creation of a transitional care unit within an existing 20 bed rural Canadian hospital that introduced unregulated care providers to the care team and how this change affected the nursing team culture and leadership General social positions and relationships (non-specific) Critical social theory Ferlatte et al.…”

“No filters needed . . .”: A qualitative study exploring sister circles and workplace messages for Black women healthcare professionals during the double pandemic

“…Although the research on these professionals during the pandemic is scant, studies have found that nurses engage in motherwork to better care for Black patients, 12 and mental health practitioners experience vicarious trauma and burnout, and practice advocacy for their patients. [13][14][15] Given the rise in attention and activities within the Black Lives Matter movement amid the global pandemic in 2020, elevating Black women healthcare professionals' experiences offer insight into how they navigated the pandemics, how health institutions responded to their employees, and possible modifications to ensure culturally competent efforts and strategies are implemented.…”