Tipping Point: Integrating Social Determinants of Health Concepts in a College of Nursing

Abstract

Background: State health rankings, national nursing education reform, and increasing awareness of social injustices propelled a college of nursing to transform its strategic plan, infrastructure, and curriculum. The prevalence of social determinants of health (SDOH) in South Carolina indicates a need for the state's health workforce to understand the impact of SDOH and recognize strategies to address and ameliorate SDOH. With the paradigmatic integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing education, there is a need for programmatic and curricular integration of SDOH to increase awareness, foster understanding, and transform perspectives among nursing faculty, staff, and students. Method: Institutional changes were made to improve inclusive excellence, and the evolutionary process is described. Results: SDOH-rich resources and experiential learning have been integrated across a college of nursing. Conclusion: This journey is ongoing and essential for preparing nurses to advance patient advocacy, health equity, and social justice for diverse populations. [ J Nurs Educ . 2021;60(12):703–706.]

Addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Contributions in Academic Review

“…Faculty could describe what strategies they have incorporated in the classroom and clinical environments that led to student equity, access, success, and belonging 16,17. Faculty could also describe the innovative and engaging ways they approach concepts such as the SDOH, advancing health equity, and reducing disparities in the teaching-learning process 18–21. Finally, faculty could engage with university initiatives to support inclusive teaching efforts.…”

Increasing Rural Nursing Students’ Awareness of the Social Determinants of Health

“…There is a need for nursing programs to purposely thread the SDOH throughout undergraduate and graduate nursing curriculum so that nurses are better prepared to meet the needs of patients (Robertson et al, 2022). Experiential learning, including unfolding case studies, simulations, and tabletop discussion (Davis et al, 2021), has been used to introduce SDOH in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.…”