Top Ten Ways to be an Antiracist in Nursing
Become story catchers
Be intentional when hearing about other people's experiences. To hear is to learn and understand, which leads to empathy with the person.
Be genuine
Do what you say you will do. Keep your word -- if you do not have trust, you cannot be an ally.
Manage me
Resist "amygdala hijacking", where generalizations cause you to act out of previous fear and pain, thus letting emotions take control of your reasoning.
Maximize curiosity.
Minimize certainty.
Ask yourself, "Why am I thinking this about this person?", "Where did this originate from?", and "Do I know what I think I know to be true?"
Distribute power
Give voice to, and support with concrete action, those without power. Minimize power plays in promotion, hiring, and patient assignments.
Preserve the dignity of others
See the humanity in others. Are you viewing colleagues as a deficit to your team, rather than an asset and why?
Stop labeling others
See people as people. Eliminate ideas about superiority, inferiority, and where to place people on a hierarchy.
Expose unwritten rules
Examine your systems. Bias cannot be avoided so tweak your systems to overcome it. Pivot to make adjustments based on what is going on in the world.
Support authenticity
Allow each person to be their authentic selves. Accept them with their differences. Don't force people to lose their uniqueness.
Manage perception
Consider how your decision/policy will impact or affect those not part of the decision process. Don't get caught up in your own intent. The receiver only knows impact of what was done.
