WHAT IS "CODE BLACK"?

"CODE BLACK" isn't just a hospital term, it's a State of Emergency....for the truth.

It is a series where real nurses submit anonymous stories of what it is really like to be Black in scrubs--and the world responds on social media. Whether it is silent injustices or open harm, the comments will become a place of reflection, healing, and collective voice. 

 This is a space where Black nurses speak the unspoken: the micro-aggressions, the bullying, the silent retaliations for speaking up, the moral injuries, the moments we questions if we're crazy, or just conditioned to survive. These are stories of they don't they don't want us to tell, but we're telling them anyway.

We’re using a format nurses know well: SBAR – Situation, Background, Assessment, and Reflection (for #CODEBLACK series).

Just like when we give a report during a critical shift, SBAR helps us communicate the full story clearly and powerfully. Your experience deserves structure so that the truth can’t be ignored or lost in translation.

• S – Situation: What happened? The moment that impacted you.

• B – Background: The context that matters – your role, environment, and circumstances.

• A – Assessment: How it made you feel and why you think it happened.

• R – Reflection: A question you want to ask the community about this experience.

This is more than documentation. It’s a movement. By sharing your story in SBAR format, you’re sounding the alarm for real change in healthcare.

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Disclaimer: By submitting your story, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

- Anonymity: Your name and any personally identifying information will not be shared publicly. Please avoid including patient names, hospital names, or details that could violate HIPAA or workplace confidentiality.

- Content Usage: By submitting, you grant Black Nurses Week unrestricted, royalty-free rights to use, edit, publish, and distribute your story in any format (including but not limited to social media, digital content, marketing materials, and e-books) for educational and advocacy purposes.

- Ownership: While your story remains your personal experience, all published or adapted content created from your submission will be the intellectual property of Black Nurses Week.

- No Guarantee of Publication: Not all submissions will be featured, and we may edit for clarity, grammar, and anonymity.

- Voluntary Participation: Submission is voluntary, and by submitting, you agree to these terms without further approval or compensation.

Consent: By completing and submitting this form, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to these terms.