Short-Term Outcomes of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Institute for Nursing Faculty

Abstract

Background: Student populations in the United States are increasingly diverse, prompting the need to make learning environments in schools of nursing more inclusive. Training for faculty is needed to support this work; however, evidence regarding best practices to make classrooms more inclusive is lacking. Method: A 3-day Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Institute was developed and conducted to create inclusive learning environments; facilitate crucial conversations on racism and other -isms, especially in the context of nursing and health equity; and practice these skills and develop or transform at least one actual class activity. Results: DEI Institute satisfaction and impact were overwhelmingly positive, and statistically significant increases in DEI-related teaching self-efficacy were observed post-Institute ( p values ranging from .0004 to < .0001). Conclusion: The DEI Institute is one example of a successful approach that can create inclusive learning environments and address issues related to health equity. [ J Nurs Educ . 2019;58(11):633–640.]

White dominance in nursing education: A target for anti‐racist efforts

“…Beard (2016), O’Connor et al. (2019), and Tengelin and Dahlborg‐Lyckhage (2017) report on the marginally positive impacts of three different professional development events. Beard’s (2016) study analysed the 'multicultural attitudes, awareness, and practices of nurse educators' (p. 439) following a one‐time training session in order to eventually diversify the nursing workforce.…”

“…O’Connor et al. (2019) report on short‐term outcomes following a 3‐day 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (p. 633) event aimed to improve classroom inclusivity for an 'increasingly diverse' (p. 633) student population. O’Connor et al.…”

“…O’Connor et al. (2019) cite a need for transformational change to learning environments in nursing to mitigate reports of 'microaggressions, bias, and/or exclusion' (p. 633) by students. They report that nurse educators feel unprepared to 'address critical conversations on topics such as power, privilege, dominance, [and] institutionalized racism' (p. 634) and that white faculty are particularly challenged by conversations about racism due to their own racism and lack of abilities to facilitate challenging discussions.…”

“…O’Connor et al. (2019) studied educators from one school of nursing and as such did not collect salient demographic information that would have revealed the identity of minority faculty in their data.…”

Achieving Health Equity Through Eradicating Structural Racism in the United States: A Call to Action for Nursing Leadership

“…Racial justice and improving health equity take on a significant role in the work of racial minority nurses (Beard & Julion, 2016). Representation of racial minority populations in nursing remains disproportionate when compared to the representation of white populations in nursing O’Connor and colleagues (2019) reported that 85% of nursing faculty nationally are white, and the landscape in which nurses operate requires them to have constructive and bold conversations and self‐reflection on racism given that nursing academia strives to not only embody an inclusive educational space but to prepare professional nurses who can deliver equitable care for a diverse population. Given the nature of white supremacy in the United States, historical, personal, social, political, and institutional norms support inequities through structural racism, to perpetuate health disparity and foster social injustice (Hardeman, Medina, & Kozhimannil, 2016…”