Racial microaggressions in nursing: "We have a long way to go".

Background: Racism in nursing is a significant issue affecting patient safety, nurse well-being, and job performance.

Purpose: Explore racial microaggression experiences of registered nurses working in a children's hospital.

Methods: An exploratory, qualitative research design with in-depth interviews was used to collect data.

Discussion: Three categories containing 12 themes resulted. Nurses experienced (1) Biased first impressions, (2) "Firing" the nurse, (3) Questioning experience or credentials, (4) Where do I belong? and (5) All jokes have a grain of truth. Nurses responded through (6) Not being silent, (7) Intentional nonconfrontation, and (8) Showing or seeking support. Nurses used strategies of (9) Empowering, (10) Bracketing, (11) Communicating thoughtfully to build trust, and (12) Doing more to be perceived the same.

Conclusion: Most nurses in the study experienced and committed racial microaggressions; therefore, must be equipped with tools to recognize and respond to them. Moreover, microaggressions negatively impact building a diverse nursing workforce.