Empowering tomorrow’s Black nurses

CBNA-McMaster Mentorship Program celebrates success and inspires change.

The Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA)-McMaster recently organized a gathering at the School of Nursing to celebrate a significant milestone: the completion of the first cohort of its transformative mentorship program. 

This initiative, sponsored by the School of Nursing and Faculty of Health Sciences through the 2022/2023 McMaster’s Strategic Alignment Fund, embodies the spirit of collaboration and community building that is essential for driving the nursing profession forward. 

The Black Nurses and Students Allied for Success (BNSAS) Mentorship Program is guided by alumnae Tsinat Semagn and Ezinwa Agokei, alongside the Director for the Academic Mentorship Program and CBNA mentor, Karen Fleming. The program’s first cohort included 29 mentors and mentees – 14 experienced Black registered nurses partnered with 15 Black McMaster nursing learners. Each learner was paired with a mentor based on their individual interests along with their professional and academic goals. This method for pairing created a synergy of varied levels, sites, and streams, and over a six-month period from January to July 2023, they shared interests and aligned aspirations. 

The hybrid event attracted a total of 26 participants—16 attendees in person and 10 joining virtually. Attendees included guest speakers, mentors, mentees, incoming first-year nursing students, and high school students passionately intrigued by the world of nursing and healthcare. 

While the event served as a celebration, it was also a platform to foster networking and interconnectivity within the nursing domain. To promote this, two outstanding guest speakers were invited to share their knowledge and experiences with attendees. 

Ovie Onagbeboma, a nationally acclaimed and influential nurse and business leader, was one of the speakers. She is seen as a leading agent of change within healthcare due to her experiences and nursing knowledge that she has gained over 20 years, which she uses to push the envelope and change the narrative around anti-Black racism in nursing. These experiences and knowledge, combined with her Lean Six Sigma certification, equip her to tackle challenges in healthcare faced pre, during, and post Covid. Onagbeboma established the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA) in response to the concern of racism in nursing, specifically anti-Black racism. Under her guidance, CBNA quickly transformed into a trailblazing national organization, reshaping the lives of countless Black nurses. Her advocacy extended to influencing nursing curriculum revision, an endeavor she hopes will be echoed across many other institutions.  

“You will see that you might appear to be the only one in a space at that time … but over time you’re going to find like-minded people. There is no one in this room that I knew before CBNA, but the CBNA creation has pulled likeminded people together,” Onagbeboma said to attendees on the importance of overcoming barriers and building communities within our education systems and workplaces.

Jean-Marc Moke, an expert in Organizational Sciences and a PhD student in the Administration program at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was the other guest speaker to share at the event. Moke’s studies have investigated the workings of social and organizational theories, unearthing the barriers that block effective collaboration among workers. His journey to this point was paved with accomplishments, having been the founder and presiding figure of the academic advocacy group “Black Students in Psychology” during his undergraduate years. Moke envisions a world where Black mentorship rises above boundaries, nurturing transitions from post-secondary education to occupations.  

Part of Moke’s underlying inspiration for continuing his leadership in mentorship is his experience as a nursing student that left him feeling isolated during a time when he could have used some direction or support from a Black mentor. “Black mentorship can help us move forward and help us look into professions and see if we’re suited for those roles,” states Moke during his presentation.

The impact of this mentorship program echoed in the testimonials from the mentees. For Level 3 BScN student mentee Lily Brown, the experience in the mentorship program provided a sense of inspiration and camaraderie. “There are so many opportunities and so many things that we can reach and achieve, so I think it is more of an inspirational thing that’s taught me that even though we’re marginalized, we’re definitely not alone,” Brown shared.

New graduate RN and mentee Sifa Lwesso echoed a similar sentiment, expressing her appreciation for the vibrant learning community the program promoted. “I feel like I learned a lot, from everybody, that’s what I really enjoyed. It is a community of learning,” Lwesso said smiling, capturing a sentiment shared by countless participants who felt similarly.

CBNA-McMaster fosters a united community for Black nursing students at all levels and sites, providing resources, equal opportunities, and career inspiration. As the BNSAS program looks ahead to its second cohort, its success stands as evidence to the unlimited potential that is nurtured when mentorship becomes a bridge for Black nursing students aspiring to cross into a world of excellence, opportunity, and empowerment supported by Black nurses.