2025 Film of the Year
Everybody’s Work
Ethics of Caring led a virtual discussion on the film, Everybody’s Work, in January 2025.
View the film here: https://www.shiftnursing.com/everybodys-work/.
“Everybody’s Work” examines the hidden disease plaguing healthcare in the United States: structural racism. Through the lens of fearless nurses, this documentary not only exposes the biases that result in worse healthcare outcomes for people of color, but it captures the painful impact they have — both on patients and nurses. A stark reality emerges through their stories: the experiences within healthcare, nursing school, and at the bedside drastically differ for people of color compared to their white counterparts. But because healthcare remains a white-dominated field, those painful experiences largely go unaddressed. This film challenges the notion that if racism isn’t personally experienced, it doesn’t exist. It urges us to confront the reality that it impacts us all. As the largest and most trusted body of healthcare professionals, nurses are uniquely positioned to lead the charge against structural racism. Rooted in the foundational values of nursing, they hold the power to dismantle barriers to health equity. But every individual must consciously commit to changing and addressing systems and behavior every day to confront and combat racial bias. Remaining passive or turning a blind eye only perpetuates a cycle that harms us all. Discover how nurses who dare to challenge the status quo by fostering a community-driven approach, embracing equity-minded practices, and advocating for inclusive education are paving the way toward a healthier future for all. This film serves as a rallying cry, reminding us that healing from racism in healthcare is a collective responsibility that transcends individual professions and identities. It’s everybody’s work.
Guest speaker, Dr. Katie Boston-Leary led participants through a group discussion after watching the film.
About our guest speaker:
Katie Boston-Leary, PHD, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC
Director of Nursing Programs, American Nurses Association
Dr. Katie Boston-Leary has dedicated her career to changing institutions for the better. As the director of nursing programs at the American Nurses Association (ANA), she oversees the Nursing Practice and Work Environment Division and Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™. Dr. Boston-Leary leads a team of policy advisors in building and establishing policy initiatives to empower nurses. Of note, Dr. Boston-Leary served on staff during the creation of ANA’s reckoning statement to address structural racism and acknowledge the association’s actions inperpetuating it. Dr. Boston-Leary is passionate about helping rectify ANA’s past by creating change from within. In 2019, Health Leaders Media honored Dr. Boston-Leary as one of “5 Chief Nursing Officers Who Are Changing Healthcare.”