About Us
Who we are
The Invisible Black Nurse is a service-oriented company dedicated to promoting harmony and racial reconciliation among the nursing profession. Established by a Registered Nurse who has devoted her time conducting research and reviews of minority nurses who are experiencing behaviors identified as discrimination based on race.
What we do
Here at the Invisible Black nurse we work with individuals and nursing schools to create an environment that promotes racial civility and kindness among the profession of nursing. Diagnose the problem, assess the motivation/capacity to change, create SMART goals and strategies for change. A SWOT analysis is used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Our Story
We invite you to look at our story through a historical context and the lens of Black Nurses, not an African-American nurse as we are not a hyphenated American. It is noteworthy to be reminded that the Black nurse has endured a variety of identification labels such as Negro, Colored, Afro-American (a hair style), Black and most recently African-American. Our counterparts have not endured such a change in their identification as their labeling is confined to either White or Caucasian. Although, historically the term Anglo-Saxon was used as a descriptor. The burning question becomes if Blacks are considered African-American based on heritage, would Whites be considered Euro-American based on their heritage?
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Thus, our story begins as far back as 1878 when Mary Mahoney was admitted into theNew England Hospital training of nurses. Dr. M.E. Zakrzewska was the inspiration for the admission of the first Negro nursing student as her mission was committed to the development of ALL women. Trail blazers like Mary Mahoney have become invisible in nursing curriculums in some sectors of the country. In 2000, Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc. and the National League of Nursing published the third edition of the book titled “The Path We Tread” “Blacks in Nursing Worldwide from 1854-1994. The first edition spanned the time frame of 131 years. The second edition extends through 1990 highlighting achievements of Black nurses. The third edition was expanded to include Black nurses from 26 countries including Africa and the Caribbean. It is noteworthy to say that the second edition won two prestigious awards from the American Journal of Nursing and the American Academy of nursing for the positive representation of nurses.
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In conclusion, our story is complex and set in a historical and contemporary context. It is hoped that participants in the workshops, trainings and speaking venues will gain insight into the way forward using evidence-based and faith-based strategies. A disturbing trend is an increase of overt incivility within the nursing profession at large, racial bullying. You may be thinking, I’m not a minority, this is not for me. But, emerging research has reported an increase in White nurses experiencing bully behavior from minority groups.
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Can you imagine the power nurses have as a caring and compassionate profession? Can you imagine how nurses can change the climate of hostility when we solve the problem internally? That is our story moving forward with solutions for change.
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Our Founder
Dr. Ora Robinson
Dr. Ora V. Robinson received her doctorate in Human Services at Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. Her master’s degree is in community mental health at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and her baccalaureate degree of science in nursing at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Her specialty area is Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health. Research methodology is mixed, predominately grounded in Qualitative Methods. Hardy and Conway’s Role Theory guides her research. Current research interests are “Minority Nurse Role Conflict” and “The Invisible Black Nurse.”
She is a certified nurse educator (CNE) through the National League of Nursing. She is competent in the areas of facilitative learning, learner development and socialization, assessment and evaluation strategies, curriculum design, evaluation of program outcomes, continuous quality improvement and engaging in scholarship, service, and leadership. Her passion for social justice is evident in her research on health disparities among Minority Nurses. Her hope is to impact social change within the nursing profession in caring for the well being of its members.
Her international travel has taken her to countries of diversity such as Trinidad & Tobago, France, Canada, Africa, South Korea and India. She gives insight into the multicultural aspects of health promotion within the complexity of the delivery of health services.
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She has been invited to speak at various professional organizations, colleges on multicultural leadership, minority nurse role conflict, and mentoring minority nurses and students.She has been invited to moderate sessions and panel discussion through her various professional organizations. She is an active participant in The American Psychiatric Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau, Association of Black Nursing Faculty, and Psi Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. Dr. Robinson received the prestigious The Young Publisher Award by the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, on her numerous publications on diversity and mental health.