Educating during the COVID-19 pandemic: The motherwork of Black women nursing professionals

Introduction The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) explore how Black women perceive their roles as nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (b) how Black women in nursing mobilized themselves to respond to the disproportionate numbers of Black Americans impacted by COVID-19. Method I conducted semistructured interviews with 6 Black women nursing professionals (5 nurse practitioners and 1 registered nurse). Data were analyzed in 3 cycles: eclectic coding, focused coding, and identifying subthemes and major themes in the data. Results I identified 1 major theme, educating as motherwork, from the data with the following subthemes: educating our own and balancing education with advocacy. Discussion Participants provided education to Black patients about controlling underlying health conditions and making lifestyle changes to reduce the impact of COVID-19. They advocated for changes in health care that reflect the needs and sociohistorical experiences of Black Americans to improve the overall quality of health care. This type of Black women's motherwork or reproductive labor reflects a sense of Black consciousness stemming from their identity as Black women and their recognition of the importance of women in Black families and communities. Participants educated and advocated for Black patients while negotiating their own experiences with systemic racism in health care as Black women nursing professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).