IDSR PhD Exit Seminar and Defence
Shelly Philip LaForest, RN, BN, MN, PhD(c)
A qualitative exploration of the subjective well-being of the Black Nurse in Ontario: An Ethnographic study
Exit Presentation: Wednesday, August 19th, 1:00 - 2:00 pm Register at Zoom
Dissertation Defence: Thursday, September 3rd, 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Please email idsr@trentu.ca for in-person room location
ABSTRACT
Background: Black nurses practicing within healthcare environments in Ontario face systemic anti-Black racism, oppression, structural and socioeconomic barriers and inequities, which can impact their subjective well-being. It is critical to clarify how well-being differs for Black nurses, as there remains a critical gap in research that focuses on their unique context.
Purpose: This study examines how intrinsic, relational, and contextual factors shape the subjective well-being of Black nurses in Ontario. It further examines how these dynamics influence lived experiences of physical and mental health, one’s sense of belonging, and professional growth, and how they may inform structural and institutional change.
Methods: This research utilized a qualitative focused ethnographic design, and data was analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Black nurses working in Ontario were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Participants completed 14 independent audio-recorded reflections at the end of each workday. They were guided by prompts designed to reflect on intrinsic, relational, and contextual factors that shaped their subjective well-being.
Results: A total of 12 Black nurses participated in this study. Four interconnected themes emerged highlighting participants’ subjective well-being as a personally shaped experience. Theme 1, Well-being as a contextually shaped experience, included subthemes on how participants navigated psychological distress, experienced work satisfaction, and exercised autonomy within workplaces. Theme 2, Relational dynamics and sources of support, included subthemes of how collegial, family and community relationships affected well-being. Theme 3, Economic stability and security, highlighted subthemes on the influence of financial security and employment stability. Lastly, Theme 4, Workplace structures and environmental conditions, included subthemes of experiences of racism and discrimination and the influence of institutional structures. Together, these themes and subthemes highlighted the intersecting and complex conditions that shape Black nurses’ everyday navigation of their well-being.
Conclusion: This research generates an upstream, theoretically-informed framework that supports how anti-Black racism, discrimination, and institutionalized inequities across micro-, mesa-, and macro-levels shape the subjective well-being of Black nurses. This framework will inform interdisciplinary organizational strategies that will advance culturally-responsive, and equity-informed changes that better support the subjective well-being of Black nurses in Ontario and other racially marginalized healthcare providers.
Keywords: Black nurses, nursing, subjective well-being, anti-Black racism, focused ethnography