A resistência é eterna: trajetórias de liderança de enfermeiras negras

Abstract

Black women who have overcome racism in their professional training, even in subordinate positions, are prevented from accessing the best job vacancies and professional advancement. These are the professional trajectories that attest to the historical structural racism experienced in nursing, resulting from the erasure of their contributions in history and the countless social barriers they faced in the profession until they were able to occupy positions of greater social prestige. To investigate the professional trajectory of black nurse leaders in health and education services. This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach, using a snowball sampling strategy. The research was carried out with 9 participants between March and August 2024, and the results were analyzed using Content Analysis, which made it possible to understand the socially produced meanings in the interviewees' speeches. The categories of this study were constructed and validated after immersion in the interview material, resulting in the formation of four thematic axes: The challenges in the professional trajectory of black female nurse leaders, The exercise of leadership for black women in Nursing, The effects of racism on the professional trajectory, and The construction of the black identity of nurse leaders. In the context of leadership, the black women analyzed in this study did not fully exercise their leadership because they were constantly crossed by racism. Even though they adopt collaborative and integrative methodologies with the team, the work process remains crossed by barriers imposed by their racial condition. The authority and competence of these women is often questioned and their position challenged, showing how structural racism manifests itself in the spaces where they limit their authority, with an impact on their professional performance. The study highlights the need for affirmative institutional policies to recognize racial diversity and combat racism by expanding opportunities for black nurses in leadership positions.