Creating a Safe Space: Engaging Graduate Nursing Students in Meaningful Discourse About Racism

Providing education for graduate nursing students about implicit bias, covert/overt racism in the United States has become challenging due to state and federal policies. Yet, national accrediting bodies require these concepts in doctoral level nursing curricula. While these concepts may be viewed as divisive, faculty can facilitate meaningful discourse by fostering an authentic and safe learning environment.

This article describes a curricular revision and our approach of integrating these concepts into a doctoral level ethics course using Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory and Kitchenham's evolution of Mezirow's theory with instrumental learning, dialogic/discourse learning, and self-reflection.

Students evaluations revealed their enhanced awareness of implicit bias and racism and its toll on minoritized populations.

With the ever-increasing diversity in the United States, our intentional approach for addressing implicit bias, covert/overt racism provided a platform for students to enhance their transcultural nursing skills by learning to appreciate differing worldviews and experiences.