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How is racial discrimination a problem in the nursing profession in Pakistan?
According to Deacon (2014) Racial discrimination is a global issue, and it is well-
documented that nurses face racial discrimination on a regular basis. According to the American
Nurses Association (2021) racism is defined as ‘assaults on the human spirit in the form of
biases, prejudices and an ideology of superiority that persistently causes moral suffering and
perpetuates injustices and inequities. In Pakistan, racial discrimination in the nursing profession
continues to persist and constitutes a major barrier to achieving equitable and responsive
healthcare. International research mainly has addressed racial discrimination toward patients but
racist behaviors from patients toward healthcare professionals have also been noted (Vaismoradi
et al.,2021). The problem of racial discrimination within Pakistan's nursing profession can be
mitigated through various means, including adherence to the International Council of Nurses
(ICN) Code of Ethics, enhanced education with a focus on culturally competent nursing, and the
recognition and protection of human rights. Those patients who experience racist discrimination
often have poor healthcare outcomes and access to health care and suffer from mental health
issues (Stanley et al., 2019).
In Pakistan, minorities experience racial discrimination by nurses when providing
medical care to patients, particularly regarding patient's religions, and skin tones (both dark and
light) which causes a low standard of care. According to Leghari et al. (2023) Nurses have a
significant unconscious bias for their faith; therefore, they unconsciously prefer to serve Muslim
patients over those of other religions. This study also found that when it comes to delivering
care, nurses show strong discrimination for young individuals and persons with light complexion
