There is no more appropriate time than now to focus on the issues that have long been ignored ("An Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing," Special Feature, February). We must look back; we must reconcile our turbulent and difficult past before we can move forward. Nursing professionals have not only experienced discrimination but also witnessed, time and time again, patients who have been traumatized by racial discrimination, racially (not scientifically) motivated medical practices and procedures, and injustice.

Without awareness and understanding of the past, we can't move ahead. As nurses holding the trust of the public, we must do more to advocate for changes within our own profession and the health care system.

Janusz K., via ajnoffthecharts.com