Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program - Open Pool

The extent and impacts of racism in Canadian society are well-established, and there are growing calls for antiracist action across sectors. Racism has been embedded in the nursing profession since its inception, and within nursing programs, continues to impact students across the admissions process, program persistence, and health and well-being throughout the academic journey. Yet despite the challenge of racism in nursing education, there are limited evidence-based strategies for advancing antiracism that have been developed and disseminated across schools of nursing in Canada. This Café will highlight four intersecting research studies on racism and antiracism within nursing education, engaging nurse educators, managers/leaders, direct care providers, students, prospective students, and members of the public in two knowledge mobilization events. The first Dissemination event will present recent evidence from the four research projects, illustrating that racialized groups are systematically excluded from nursing education through admissions processes, and when admitted to nursing programs, experience racism and discrimination within classroom and clinical settings. Two approaches to addressing racism will be presented: the use of simulation to support antiracism learning among undergraduate nursing students, and undergraduate peer support for enhancing students' health and well-being over the duration of the nursing program. At this event, attendees will be provided with an Antiracism in Action toolkit, which will support their enactment of antiracism within their own contexts beyond the event. The second Transformation event will reconvene attendees in engaging in an open dialogue with researchers, knowledge users, and one another on how they have advanced antiracism in their nursing program contexts. Across the two events and through a widely disseminated final report, this Café will support action toward antiracism within nursing education across Canada.