At our January Nursology.net Advisory Team Zoom meeting, we heard from a colleague who lives and works in the great city of Minneapolis. She spoke of the suffering in her neighborhood, where people are being terrorized by atrocities committed against Brown people and others. These acts of terror are especially horrifying because they are carried out by individuals representing the U.S. government, acting at the command of the highest officer in the land.

It is one thing to watch these events unfold on television; it is quite another when they come close to home. And for all of us, this is close to home. This past Saturday morning, the world learned of the killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse in Minneapolis, who was attempting to protect a woman being pepper-sprayed. He held a phone in his hand—not a gun (see more information about Alex Pretti here)

On behalf of the Advisory team members who participated in our January meeting, we convey in the strongest terms possible – we oppose all acts of human harm – and we are speaking out. We refuse to be silent. Taking a stance at this moment is a moral obligation for nurses. We have a specified moral duty in our Code of Ethics for Nurses to respond to social injustice and social harms (Provision 8.2).  The Code does not condone nurses-as-inactive-bystanders in the f ace of sociopolitical harm or injustice. Re-read provisions eight and nine. Nurses may not be silent or inactive bystanders. Alex Pretti was not silent.

We recognize that some view the opposition to the current climate against immigrants as a partisan issue. To the contrary, this is not a partisan matter. Any human being, of any political affiliation, is culpable when they enable or instigate deliberate harm on others in our communities.

We oppose the actions currently sanctioned by those in power not because of political affiliation, but because these actions harm the health and well-being of our communities. We hold accountable those who enable such harms, those who remain silent, and those—including nursing organizations—whose responses have been lukewarm or absent at this critical moment (see footnote). We call on all nursing organizations to join us in taking strong public stances against actions that endanger health and well-being. We salute the “Truth About Nursing” website for their strong statement condemning the killing of Alex Pretti. At this time, every small act, even a statement of opposition, such as this blog and the Truth About Nursing blog, adds to what could become a wave of opposition that will make change possible.

We recognize the fact that there are many layers of concern that are rooted in injustices that have long existed in our society. Racism is blatantly evident—not only in actions taken, but also in the egregiously racist remarks and racial profiling that have been reported in Minneapolis and in other locations receiving less media attention. Homophobia has also been on full display. Reports indicate that ICE agents referred disparagingly to Renee Nicole Good as a lesbian and placed her widow under unjust scrutiny.

As nurses we cannot stand by idly watching and wringing our hands as people are harmed. We cannot place partisan loyalties above our nursing values to protect and nurture human health and well-being. The harm we are witnessing will be life-long, and the harm represents a threat to health and well-being for all of us as individuals, and for all of us as a community. At this moment, we as nurses are called upon to act in every way possible. We must take action to stop the harm, care for those who are harmed and bring to the surface our best nursing wisdom as we forge paths of healing going forward.

Nurses in Minneapolis have been through a crisis of this magnitude before. Following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 at the height of the COVID19 pandemic, just a few blocks from the January 7th murder of Renee Good, nurses in Minneapolis organized to take action. Their story was posted on Nursology.net on July 7, 2020. One of several actions they took was the establishment of a Mobile Outdoor Outreach Drop-in (MOODI) where meals were offered and connections to resources were made everyday of the week at a local park. 

At this moment, nurses everywhere are called upon to organize, taking inspiration from nurses in Minneapolis. As during the COVID19 crisis, our foundations of ethical knowing, and of emancipatory knowing compel us to act. We can and must find ways to express our opposition to acts of terror and harm in our local and regional communities. Some of us can and will participate in organized protest. All of us can take everyday actions that oppose acts of terror, and support protective and healing processes. We can take non-violent action to forge a path forward that is guided by our dedication to health and well-being. Here are just a few possibilities:

• Provide nursing care and material support for your neighbors who are at risk – those who cannot leave their homes to get groceries, or go to school, or show up for work.
• Bring your best mental health skills to assist those who are terrorized, especially the children, to offer support in minimizing the emotional trauma they bear.
• Wear a whistle around your neck, signalling that you stand ready to respond and protect against any act of terror in your community.
• Speak up in any group gathering, formal or informal, stating your opposition to real or potential acts of injustice, and invite your colleagues to join you in taking nonviolent action.
• Contact leaders in your local , regional, and nursing organizations and associations, and urge them to create official position statements and organized action in your communities.
• Contact your local, regional and national elected officials and urge them to use their political influence to oppose any policy,  action or budgetary allocation that enables a continuation of acts of harm or terror, committed by people representing the U.S. government within your community.
• Post on social media your opposition against any terrorizing . Post your support for the communities being attacked.
• Join groups in your community, no matter how small, who are organizing to protect your vulnerable neighbors.
• Post in the comments below your ideas for action, and resources that support these actions.

Courage is contagious. When any of us speak out, or take even the smallest of actions, we inspire others to do the same.

Footnote

We acknowledge that there have been a few formal statements from nursing organizations in response to these actions. See in particular the strong Statement from the Washington State Nurses Association on the killing of Alex Pretti. National Nurses United has organized to oppose ICE presence in healthcare facilities. On January 24th the ANA issued a brief statement about the killing of Alex Pretti, but without mentioning their own Code of Ethics. See also Nursing Groups, Colleagues Speak Out on Killing of ICU Nurse in Minnesota. The National Black Nurses Association issued a powerful statement on January 25th –

2/3/2026 Update on organization statements

American Nurses Association (with petition “Demand Truth for Alex Pretti”)

Nurses for America