Diversity Digest: Winter 2023 Edition Thursday, February 16, 2023 Winter 2023 Edition The Diversity Digest is a quarterly newsletter highlighting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives launched by AACN and member schools of nursing. Please send details about your school's DEI initiatives to cdowning@aacnnursing.org. Click here for more information on AACN’s DEI priorities. In This Edition: Meet AACN’s New Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Celebrating Black History Month Access Sessions for the 2022 Diversity Symposium Featured Article from Dr. Erin Donovan ...and more! Announcement: AACN Welcomes New Leader AACN Welcomes Dr. Brigit Carter as New Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer AACN is pleased to welcome Brigit M. Carter, PhD, RN, CCRN, FAAN, to the association staff in the role of Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. Dr. Carter retired from the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) in January 2023, where she has served since 2018 as the school’s Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. She has been with DUSON in different capacities for 18 years. From 2015-2018 she served as the director of the DUSON Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Dr. Carter has served as the project director for two Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants at DUSON, which focused on increasing underrepresented minorities in nursing and the understanding of social determinants of health among undergraduate nursing students. Dr. Carter earned her BSN from North Carolina Central University, an MSN from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a PhD in nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was recently inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She is an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity and a 2017-2018 Duke Teaching for Equity Fellow. In 2020, her contributions to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the nursing profession were recognized by the American Nurses Association, who awarded her their Diversity in Nursing Award. Dr. Carter is retired from the U. S. Navy Reserves with 28 years of active and reserve service. Join Us in Celebrating the Rich History of Black Nurses This month, and every month, we celebrate Black History and the contributions of Black nurses to improving health and health care. This February on Twitter, AACN is recognizing the contributions that Black nurses have made in the areas of nursing education, research, policy, and practice. Follow us @AACNursing as we showcase profiles of Black nurses during #BlackHistoryMonth. 2022 Virtual Diversity Symposium Summary AACN hosted the third virtual AACN Annual Diversity Symposium, What's Next? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in an Ever-Changing Landscape. The Symposium presented strategies for preparing a more diverse nursing workforce to provide high-quality nursing care to diverse populations, which is critical to addressing healthcare disparities and health inequities. The feature opening presenter was Dr. Damon Williams, a visionary and inspirational national expert in strategic diversity leadership and organizational change. The Symposium closed with Ms. Terrie Sterling, MSN, MBA, RN, the interim chief executive officer of the University Medical Center New Orleans. Additional presenters included a panel of contributors to the Commission to Address Racism in Nursing report released in May 2022, and a Solution Circle panel of faculty led by a representative from Elsevier to discuss classroom management when diversity issues are discussed. Other presentations included a representative from the three schools that received the Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Lectureship Award winners. Those schools included the Dominican University, Claflin University, and The Ohio State University. Eight podium presentations and sixty-eight poster presentations were selected from our record number of ninety-three abstracts received from the call for abstracts. To access program sessions and content shared at the Symposium, click here. Featured Article The Journey Begins Erin C. Donovan, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, Department of Health Sciences, Moss School of Nursing Colorado Mesa University Often, we focus on diversity alone. We need to remember equity, inclusion, and belonging. They are very different. Diversity alone is not enough. Curriculum champions can look for diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and belonging (+B) as it is embedded in all aspects of the curriculum. We should reflect on the past, think in the present, and strategically plan the future. We are summiting in this journey. We are not alone in the summit or the journey. We must commit to inclusive excellence; it takes more than words. First, explore the culture in our own department. Then, look at what we had in the past, what we have now, and what is needed in the future (e.g., resources). Always keep in mind that culture shifts as people come and go. Read the Full Article Opportunities and Resources AACN's Diversity Leadership Institute The AACN Diversity Leadership Institute will soon open applications for the 2024 cohort! AACN’s Diversity Leadership Institute provides an overview of the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in academic nursing and the role of Diversity Officers in nursing education and practice. Program facilitators frame DEI within the context of higher education and academic nursing while presenting high-involvement strategies and practices that can be deployed at schools of nursing. Attendees gain new knowledge and experiences designed to stimulate strategic thinking and elevate impact. Program content was designed to increase self-awareness while building skills and capacity to lead change and launch successful DEI-focused initiatives. This program offers the opportunity for participants to develop a diversity plan designed to drive excellence and meet local needs. Upon completion, participants will present their projects describing how they will apply their plan within their respective organizations. At the conclusion of this program, a certificate will be awarded. View the posters and projects of past cohort members here! Learn More Explore AACN's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Tool Kit AACN’s DEI faculty tool kit provides robust resources to meet many of your individual and institutional needs. During these times of change and uncertainty, faculty may find the content on Education and Scholarship particularly useful. This section offers strategies, tools, and in-depth readings to help you advance professional development, identify pedagogical resources and support, and find tools for personal growth and self-reflection. The Education and Scholarship section includes strategies to: Build faculty capacity Create inclusive teaching and learning environments Address diversity, equity, and inclusion topics Develop cultural competence and humility For each strategy, there are additional suggested tools and resources, such as: Inclusive pedagogies Suggestions on how to navigate difficult conversations Teaching race and racism Incorporating health equity into the curriculum The tool kit highlights many suggested readings to help address DEI in your learning environment. Whether you are looking to incorporate more DEI into the curriculum, examine your own personal bias, or find strategies to address these topics in the classroom, the tool kit offers many rich and varied resources. View the Tool Kit Articles of Interest Changing the Conversation: Promoting Student Success In Our Own Words: Institutional Betrayals What If Colleges Lose at the Supreme Court? See Past Diversity Digest Issues Categories: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Diversity Digest