Racism in Health Care

Racism is an important determinant of health, contributing to unacceptable health and social inequities. While there is no quick fix to this massive systemic problem, CNA believes ongoing racism and discrimination are root causes of health disparities that need to be tackled aggressively at all levels.

Recent national and international incidents of racism have led to broad recognition of longstanding systemic structures of racism and oppression within society and health care, of which the nursing profession is not immune. In 2020, following the brutal race-based violence that led to the murder of George Floyd in the United States, and the dehumanizing racist treatment of Joyce Echaquan, CNA committed to actively confronting racism and dismantling oppressive systems that have created inequities, both within nursing and broader society.

CNA resources

• Nursing Declaration Against Anti-Black Racism in Nursing and Health Care
• Nursing Declaration Against Anti-Indigenous Racism in Nursing and Health Care
• CNA’s Key Messages on Anti-Black Racism in Nursing and Health

Advocacy

• CNA’s 2021 federal election platform advocated for key investments for Indigenous communities and the health-care workforce focused on promoting cultural competency and increasing diversity.
• Pre-Budget Consultation in Advance of the 2022 Federal Budget: CNA recommended strategies to support education and training of health-care workers to support Black, Indigenous and people of colour in pursuing nursing education.
• Joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with recommendations for Canada’s long-term recovery and the speech from the throne (September 2020): CNA advocated for strengthening Canada’s anti-racism strategy and called for enhancing race- and ethnicity-based data collection.

News releases

• Anti-Black racism is a public health emergency in Canada (June 2020)
• Joint statement from CNA & CINA on the treatment of an Indigenous woman by nurses in Joliette, Quebec (September 2020)

Upcoming events

Second National Summit on Racism in Nursing and Health Care
Date: November 23, 2022
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET

Learn more and register

Past events

First National Summit on Racism in Nursing and Health Care
In November 2021, CNA held a summit that explored the theme of racism in nursing and health care. Read this report for a summary of the presentations, keynotes, roundtable discussion and online discussion boards. You can also download the summit package that was made available to the almost 600 attendees. Speakers at the event included:

• Sandy Hudson, Political Activist and Co-Founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement Canada
• The Honourable Murray Sinclair, Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)