AACN Selects 50 Nursing Schools to Help Identify Hallmarks of Inclusive Learning Environments

WASHINGTON, DC, July 28, 2022 – The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that 50 schools of nursing from 28 states have been selected to participate in a national initiative designed to foster inclusive learning environments and build a more diverse nursing workforce. 

In January 2022, AACN commenced a project titled Building a Culture of Belonging in Academic Nursing with funding from Johnson & Johnson. AACN launched this initiative to help schools of nursing create environments where students, faculty, and staff possess a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to thrive.

“Creating a learning culture where all individuals are able to develop and do their best work is critical to achieving academic nursing’s goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. “AACN is pleased to join with 50 member schools to pilot test a new tool that will help to evolve how nurse educators approach teaching, learning, and professional engagement.”

To support this project, AACN developed a digital platform to administer its Leading Across Multidimensional Perspectives (LAMP℠) Culture and Climate Survey. This instrument collects data on student, faculty, and staff perceptions of their college classrooms as communities in five thematic areas: fair treatment and observations of discrimination, belongingness, value of diversity and inclusion, campus services, and clinical training.

Using data collected via LAMP℠, AACN will provide institution-level assessments and action reports to participating schools related to developing inclusive academic environments. This tool provides administrators with a better understanding of how their campus climate influences student experiences and achievement. With assessment data from internal stakeholders, educators are equipped with valuable information needed to initiate change, target areas of growth, and most importantly, improve student outcomes. AACN will also use aggregate data collected from participating schools to identify best practices and success strategies that can be deployed at institutions nationwide.

Following a call for pilot schools that netted nearly 250 applicants, the following schools were selected to participate in the next administration of the LAMP℠ survey:

Arizona College of Nursing
Baylor University
Binghamton University
California State University, Stanislaus
Case Western Reserve University
Chamberlain University 
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science
Emory University
Florida Atlantic University
Frontier Nursing University
Jefferson College of Nursing
Loyola University of New Orleans
LSU Health New Orleans
New York University 
North Dakota State University
Oregon Health & Science University
Pace University
Prairie View A&M University 
Purdue University Northwest
Randolph-Macon College
Rush University
Rutgers University
Shenandoah University
Stockton University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Texas Tech University Health Science Center
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Iowa 
University of Maryland
University of Memphis
University of Michigan - Flint
University of New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina Pembroke
University of Portland
University of South Florida
University of Southern Maine
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas Medical Branch
UTHealth Houston
Western Governors University
Widener University
Wilmington University
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Schools selected to participate in this pilot study are geographically diverse and represent a range of institutional types (public and private institutions; small and large schools; rural and urban-serving programs, etc.) Having a broad range of participating schools is important to securing results that can be generalizable across all types of nursing schools.  

Pilot testing of the LAMP℠ survey will be completed in spring 2023. AACN will disseminate aggregate findings to all schools of nursing next year. For more information on this initiative and the LAMP℠ Culture and Climate Survey, contact AACN’s Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Christine Downing, at cdowning@aacnnursing.org.