EMPOWERED Nurses: We Know It Exists. Help Us Understand It.

Creating a nursing workforce where every individual feels respected, valued, and supported is essential to the future of our profession. While we know that racism, discrimination, and bias exist within healthcare settings, we need a clearer understanding of how, where, and when these experiences occur in the workplace so that meaningful action can be taken. 

The Texas Nurses Association’s EMPOWER (Elevating Minds,  Perspectives, Opportunities, &  Welcoming Engaging Relationships) Committee is charged with moving TNA and the profession toward becoming more inclusive. In accordance with this directive, today, we are launching a survey designed to gather nurses' experiences with racism, discrimination, and bias across practice settings. 

This survey is anonymous and open to all Texas nurses. 

Although conversations about discrimination often focus on race and ethnicity, we recognize that bias and exclusion can affect individuals from many backgrounds and identities. We encourage participation from anyone who has experienced discrimination, bias, harassment, or unfair treatment related to factors such as: 

• Race or ethnicity 
• Religion or faith beliefs 
• Sexual orientation 
• Gender identity or expression 
• Age 
• Disability status 
• National origin or cultural background 
• Language, appearance, or other personal characteristics 

Whether these experiences have come from colleagues, supervisors, patients, families, or organizational policies and practices, your perspective is important. 

Our goal is not simply to confirm that these challenges exist. Rather, we want to understand how these behaviors manifest in nursing workplaces, where they occur, who is affected, and what impact they have on nurses and patient care. The information gathered will help inform future education, advocacy, policy development, and strategies to foster more inclusive and equitable work environments. 

Your responses will provide valuable insights that can help strengthen our profession and create healthier workplaces for all nurses. 

We encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey. Every voice matters, and every experience contributes to a more complete understanding of the challenges facing our profession. 

If you have not personally faced any behaviors highlighted in the survey, take into consideration what you may have seen in the workplace, instances when your fellow nurses were not being treated equally or respectfully.  In the end, remember that your openness in responding will shape how effectively we can learn and influence better behaviors.  

Please be aware that some survey questions may bring up difficult emotions or memories for individuals who have experienced or witnessed racism, discrimination, bias, harassment, or exclusion in the workplace. We recognize that reflecting on these experiences can be uncomfortable. Your well-being is important, and we encourage you to participate only to the extent that you feel comfortable. If completing the survey causes distress, consider reaching out to trusted colleagues, organizational employee assistance programs (EAPs), mental health professionals, spiritual advisors, or other support resources available to you. Taking care of yourself is an important part of this process, and support is available if you need it. 

Thank you for helping us advance a nursing workforce where everyone can thrive. 

Click here to take the EMPOWER Survey.