Examining Whiteness in Obstetric and Pediatric Simulations: A Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Social Justice in Healthcare
• Anti-racist Pedagogy

Background:

• Whiteness is a pervasive, often invisible construct within the nursing profession.
• It influences nursing education at structural, curricular, and interpersonal levels.
• This study examines how whiteness manifests in prelicensure clinical simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze manifestations of whiteness in nursing clinical simulation scenarios.
• To apply an anti-racist framework to understand these phenomena.
• To identify how whiteness is perpetuated within nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis was used.
• Nine prelicensure nursing simulation scenarios were examined.
• An anti-racist framework guided the thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Two key themes emerged: "normalizing whiteness in assessment" and "othering."
• These themes reveal how whiteness is embedded and perpetuated in simulations.
• The findings highlight the need to critically examine simulation content.

Conclusions:

• An anti-racist framework aids in identifying whiteness and racism in nursing curricula.
• Educators and students can use this framework to address systemic issues.
• Further research is needed on perceptions of whiteness among nurse educators and students.