As Black History Month comes to a close, we want to recognize the accomplishments, stories, and experiences of Black Nurses. Black Nurses make up 9.9% of the workforce, according to AACN. Check out my list of 10 Black Nurses you MUST follow in 2023. These RNs (and one nurse-to-be) are influencers, educators, comedians, and entrepreneurs. Hit that follow and like button for these amazing nurses!
Casey Green
BSN, RN, CCRN, CTRN, CFRN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN,NRP
@CriticalCareCasey
Wow! Look at all those letters after her name! Casey has been a critical care nurse for 8 years, working in adult and pediatric ICUs, emergency departments, and as a critical care ground transport nurse. Casey is also a nursing clinical instructor. She is certified across multiple critical care specialties and is passionate about nursing education, supporting nurses both entering the profession and at the bedside, and patient care.
In August of 2021, she launched Critical Care Casey, a platform for critical care education, helping nursing students get through nursing school, mentoring students and nurses, and helping nurses reach their certification goals.
Tiffany Vassell, BSN, BA, RN: @tiffanyvassellrn
Tiffany Vassell is a labor and delivery RN (and awesome former coworker of mine!). She is a Black maternal health advocate who supports midwifery care, equity, autonomy, and access to home births and birth centers. She is a board member of the Bay State Birth Coalition and advocates for The Out-of- Hospital Birth Access and Safety bill and the establishment of the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston. She is the founder of Nurses for Black Maternal Health and Equity Org, which seeks to diversify the perinatal workforce.
She is the co-author of the recently published book 'Preparation for a Hospital Birth.' In the book, she seeks to demystify the process of birthing in the hospital in ways only a nurse can explain. She has sat on several panels to discuss her work and advocacy in the maternal health space and has written many articles. She is the awardee of the 2022 Image of the Professional Nurse awarded by the Massachusetts Nursing Association and selected by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as one of 2022 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders. Follow her to hear more about Black birthing justice and how you can get involved!
Jackie, BSN, RN: @TheUnicoRNurse
Jackie, also known as TheUnicoRNurse, is an ICU/PACU travel nurse with 10+ years of bedside experience. She is a lifestyle, nursing, and travel content creator on Instagram and TikTok, as well as the owner of TheUnicoRNurse.com. Over the last 3 years she has developed an online community centered around educating, inspiring and motivating people from all backgrounds to reach for their goals among the stars. When she is not working at the bedside she enjoys traveling, working out, and meeting new people. Check her out!
Morgan Murray, CRNP, PMHNP-BC, RN
@morgansandiego
Morgan is a board-certified psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner with a passion for eliminating the stigma of mental health treatment and fostering the next generation of nursing. As a former travel nurse, Morgan has practiced in over 15 states and across a wide variety of specialties including psychiatry/mental health, case management, and the Operating Room. It was through travel nursing that Morgan developed a passion for travel and seeing new places, traveling to 33 countries and counting! Morgan has practiced at top facilities for mental health treatment including The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her passion for mental health and co-occurring disorders is rooted in her personal experiences growing up in Baltimore, Maryland.
Morgan has practiced in the behavioral health field for over 9 years, having acquired multi-faceted experience at the intersections of clinical nursing, leadership, and psychiatric mental health. Follow her to learn more about her travels and life as a psych NP!
Dr. De, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
@iamnursede
Her name is Dr. De and she is a 24-year-old Nurse Practitioner and Travel ER Nurse. She grew up in a low-income household and lost her brother to a fatal motorcycle accident, which made her calling in life clear. She knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing and touch the lives of others. She embarked on her nursing journey at the age of 16 within the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Florida Atlantic University. At the age of 20, she began her nursing career with an associate of arts degree along with two bachelor’s degrees in Nursing and Sociology. But she knew that she didn’t want to stop there.
She fell in love with the specialty of psychiatric mental health, and she saw a great need for mental health advocates in her community. On December 16th, 2022, she obtained her Doctorate in Nursing Practice and transitioned into Dr. De, a Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, at the tender age of 24 (!!!).
Every day, she fights to go against stereotypes and stigma attached to her minority status and cultural background. Every day, she serves as a walking testimony that no dream is too big or too far to obtain. Every day, she stands at the front line to serve as an advocate for mental health. She is the ONLY doctoral prepared nurse practitioner in her entire family. Dr. De states, “I am black history.”
Andrea Dalzell, MSN-ED, RN
@theseatednurse
Andrea is the people’s disability rights advocate. As someone who has used a wheelchair full-time since the age of twelve, she understands what it’s like to constantly come up against barriers because life is built for the non-disabled. She challenges this narrative daily as “The Seated Nurse” – the first and only registered nurse in a wheelchair in all of New York State. Andrea’s advocacy has won her national recognition over the years, including being named “New Mobility’s Person of the Year” in 2021.
Today, Andrea continues her disability rights activism with a focus on educating entrepreneurs, medical professionals and business executives on how they can overcome obstacles and become self-advocates. Andrea has recently become a managing partner for The Axis Project, a center in New York whose mission is to motivate people with physical disabilities to pursue a healthy, active lifestyle. Follow her to stay up to date on disability advocacy!
Tiffany Gibson, MSN-ED, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
@newnurseacademy
Tiffany, founder of New Nurse Academy, is changing the culture by pioneering emotional intelligence in nursing. She is also a nurse educator, consultant, and speaker. From her site, Tiffany states, “New Nurse Academy creates a new mindset for Nurses that will change the current culture of nursing by training Nurses at all levels to practice with integrity, personal agency, and psychological safety”. She self-identifies as a perpetual student, always learning. She was also featured in Oprah’s magazine ! Check out her website where you can learn more about Tiff, buy some awesome merch, schedule a one on one call, and much more!
Kelita R., MSN, FNP-BC, RN-BC: @nursekayknows
Kelita was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, becoming an LPN at the age of 17. She worked her way to become an RN, and is currently a board-certified FNP. She established @nursekayknows during the pandemic, without actually intending to become an influencer! She says, “I started creating reels because I was tired of feeling sad about the circumstances that we had to deal with in healthcare. I figured: let’s laugh instead of cry, and that’s how my platform began to grow and become this great safe space for nurses and healthcare workers!”
Kay’s goals related to nursing are to educate new and experienced nurses, advocate for change in the profession, and encourage and uplift nurses and potential nurses. “I’m glad that when people look at my content, they can see themselves – a first generation, daughter of immigrants who’s thriving in the profession. They can look toward my example and see a place for themselves in nursing.”
Check out her full Moxie interview here!
@mahogany.sn
Not yet a nurse, but loading! She is a nursing student and nurse intern in the emergency department. She hopes to work in the intensive care unit when she graduates in December.
She loves volunteering for community health events. Volunteering at health events allows her to care for people in a setting other than the hospital. She loves to perform health screenings, present resources to my community that they may not have known were available, and connect with others.
Follow her to join her journey of becoming a registered nurse, including studying, exploring specialties of nursing, and school or work related strategies.
Tifany Brown, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
@telehealthpreneur
Tifany Brown is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner of 4 years licensed in 36 states and an expert in telehealth. She owns a hybrid wellness clinic and a 100% virtual practice in 10+ states. Tifany leaped into telehealth full time in 2020 and has witnessed the endless opportunities this new era of healthcare will offer Nurse Practitioners. Since leaving the bedside as both a nurse and nurse practitioner, Tifany enjoys traveling to different countries, laying on the beach listening to the waves and spending precious quality time with her family and friends.
As a serial entrepreneur, Tifany supports nurses who are ready to start their own clinic or spa by offering Medical Directorship and Good Faith Exams in applicable states. She also coaches burnt out Nurse Practitioners, who are ready to reclaim their time, build and launch a profitable telehealth practice.
All of us at Moxie Scrubs want to thank these amazing and inspiring nurses for allowing us to feature them. Be sure to support the National Black Nurses Association, the Black Nurses Coalition, and other Black nursing organizations who are promoting diversity in healthcare and working to eliminate healthcare disparities.
About the Author:
Angela Vallillo, MPH, BSN, RN, C-EFM, C-ONQS is a travel labor and delivery RN. She is also in midwifery school at Frontier Nursing University and a clinical specialist for MindChild Medical, Inc., the creator of a non-invasive fetal ECG device. She holds certifications in electronic fetal monitoring and obstetric and neonatal quality and safety.
What does Moxie mean to me? “Moxie means having a fighting spirit, and that means fiercely advocating for my patients.”
