School of Nursing Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racism
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Anti-Racism Updates
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work continued through the 2021-2022 academic year and included development/educational activities, strategic objectives under the People and Culture Goal, and the Diversity Action Plan led by the SON Diversity Advisory Group. Below is a summary on activities related to the 2020 OHSU School of Nursing Anti-Racism statement and actions taken to Advance the Culture of the School of Nursing:
- “Create an anti-racism repository of resources for faculty, staff, and students, including multicultural curriculum resources.”
- Completed and Ongoing: This repository has been created and further development continues. Information resources related to DEI for students, staff, and faculty is available. Links to OHSU Center for Diversity and Inclusion & OHSU Library are included along with their resources/podcasts on anti-racism and racial equity to expand one’s knowledge in this area. Links to resources on race, racism, and health disparities are also included. Information and best practices for faculty on how to create a culturally inclusive and responsive learning environment are also provided through the Foster Respectful and Equitable Education (FREE) OHSU education website resource.
- Completed and Ongoing: This repository has been created and further development continues. Information resources related to DEI for students, staff, and faculty is available. Links to OHSU Center for Diversity and Inclusion & OHSU Library are included along with their resources/podcasts on anti-racism and racial equity to expand one’s knowledge in this area. Links to resources on race, racism, and health disparities are also included. Information and best practices for faculty on how to create a culturally inclusive and responsive learning environment are also provided through the Foster Respectful and Equitable Education (FREE) OHSU education website resource.
- “Listen to our students about their observations of racism, provide opportunities for dialog and processing of observations in classes and clinical, and potential responses and interventions.”
- Ongoing: Meetings have occurred with various students and faculty members to discuss their concerns and to work with them on addressing concerns and finding potential solutions. Informal mentoring has also occurred with some students and more formal mentoring is planned for fall 2022. Dialogue with the School of Nursing Deans continues to occur once a term for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. These sessions are designed to offer connection and the opportunity to ask questions of SON mission leaders.
- Ongoing: Meetings have occurred with various students and faculty members to discuss their concerns and to work with them on addressing concerns and finding potential solutions. Informal mentoring has also occurred with some students and more formal mentoring is planned for fall 2022. Dialogue with the School of Nursing Deans continues to occur once a term for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. These sessions are designed to offer connection and the opportunity to ask questions of SON mission leaders.
- “Listen to faculty and staff about racism and anti-racism efforts and seek to provide opportunities for dialog and action.”
- Ongoing: Meetings with faculty and staff also have occurred and members of the Leadership Council read and had conversations regarding the book Me and White Supremacy (2020- 2021) to work toward anti-racism. Leadership Council members are currently reading The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone And How We Can Prosper Together and subsequent discussions are planned about this book for fall 2022 in continuing our efforts toward anti-racism. A School of Nursing Staff Anti-Racism study group was formed in 2022 by Christi Richardson-Zboralski in consultation with Karen Reifenstein, and the group’s multi-media focused sessions provide a safe space for staff to learn more about what it means to be anti-racist.
- Ongoing: Meetings with faculty and staff also have occurred and members of the Leadership Council read and had conversations regarding the book Me and White Supremacy (2020- 2021) to work toward anti-racism. Leadership Council members are currently reading The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone And How We Can Prosper Together and subsequent discussions are planned about this book for fall 2022 in continuing our efforts toward anti-racism. A School of Nursing Staff Anti-Racism study group was formed in 2022 by Christi Richardson-Zboralski in consultation with Karen Reifenstein, and the group’s multi-media focused sessions provide a safe space for staff to learn more about what it means to be anti-racist.
- “Examine clinical course outcomes and rubrics, add language regarding system biases/racism and incorporate more opportunity for students to pay attention to the racism that exists in microsystems of care.”
- Ongoing: A few of our campuses across the state have reviewed courses as part of a pilot study and another campus reviewed course activities. Other campuses are considering learning activities, and one incorporated clinical patient bias.
- Ongoing: A few of our campuses across the state have reviewed courses as part of a pilot study and another campus reviewed course activities. Other campuses are considering learning activities, and one incorporated clinical patient bias.
- “Consider program outcomes to incorporate social justice.”
- Ongoing: Continued participation of one of the campuses with an NAACP annual event is helping to raise social justice awareness. This campus is also working with their Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion group to further social justice awareness.
- Ongoing: Continued participation of one of the campuses with an NAACP annual event is helping to raise social justice awareness. This campus is also working with their Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion group to further social justice awareness.
- “Conduct a review of cases, exam questions, assignments, and simulations across the undergraduate and graduate curricula to ensure accuracy, lack of bias, diversity and multicultural examples.”
- Ongoing: A Photo Diversity Repository was created by Linda Felver, a SON faculty member, and OHSU librarian Pam Pierce to help students more accurately visualize pathophysiological conditions of diverse populations, increase awareness of issues related to health & diversity, and help prepare students for more effective interactions with their future patients.
- Plans are currently underway to train/develop select undergraduate faculty in the use of didactic and simulation-based strategies to deliver culturally responsive, affirming, and anti-racist LGBTQIA+ care in a variety of healthcare contexts.
- “Offer courses for student unconscious bias training in specific undergraduate and graduate courses beginning summer 2020.”
- Completed and Ongoing: All SON students receive this training at the start of their academic program.
- Completed and Ongoing: All SON students receive this training at the start of their academic program.
- “Encourage a personal anti-racism individual goal for SON employees in the coming year.”
- Completed and Ongoing: Individual goals are presented and discussed during each employee’s annual review. This will be an annual requirement going forward.
- Completed and Ongoing: Individual goals are presented and discussed during each employee’s annual review. This will be an annual requirement going forward.
- “Consider a personal anti-racism goal in the Faculty Performance Review – this work will be led by the Faculty Affairs Council.”
- Completed and Ongoing: Voted on by faculty May 2021. Personal anti-racism goals are now part of the annual Faculty Performance Review.
- Completed and Ongoing: Voted on by faculty May 2021. Personal anti-racism goals are now part of the annual Faculty Performance Review.
- “Support an Interprofessional Education focus on anti-racism.”
- Ongoing: Harriet A. Washington provided a powerful presentation on the historical perspective related to COVID-19 and the concept of medical apartheid on February 11th 2022. Ms. Washington is the author of Medical Apartheid: "The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present as well as other books, articles, and podcasts. The presentation was sponsored by the SON, the OHSU Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the School of Dentistry.
- “Health System & Organizational Leadership program racism course series of 3 started fall 2020 and includes seats for other students.”
- Completed and Ongoing: Three racism courses were created in 2020 and 2021 and continue to be offered during fall, winter, and spring terms.
- Courses
- Clarifying Racism – Institutional Racism –initiated Fall Term, 2020
- Clarifying Racism – Foundational Concepts of Bias- initiated Winter Term 2021 Clarifying Racism – Unequal Treatment – initiated Spring Term 2021
- Courses
- Completed and Ongoing: Three racism courses were created in 2020 and 2021 and continue to be offered during fall, winter, and spring terms.
- “Update the statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion for the SON catalog.”
- Completed: 7/2020
- Completed: 7/2020
- “Create several pre- and post-conferences for undergraduate clinical faculty to support faculty in addressing racism and opening conversation about it.”
- Ongoing: Initial work related to patient bias in clinical settings has occurred with some SON faculty members and students. This pilot work will be presented at the September, 2022 Las Vegas, Nevada NLN Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Leading The Way Through Education, Practice, and Policy conference by Dr. Ginger Keller, Dr. Karen Reifenstein, and Kathy Criswell.
- Ongoing: Initial work related to patient bias in clinical settings has occurred with some SON faculty members and students. This pilot work will be presented at the September, 2022 Las Vegas, Nevada NLN Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Leading The Way Through Education, Practice, and Policy conference by Dr. Ginger Keller, Dr. Karen Reifenstein, and Kathy Criswell.
- “Create a safe place for faculty to bring situations forward and discuss how to address and learn from them.”
- Ongoing: The Deans Executive Council, Leadership Council, and Diversity Advisory Group members participated in two-day workshops with Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia on Trauma- Informed Systems Change Framework, from February, 2022 through June, 2022. This Trauma- Informed Systems Change Framework training supports all of the SON’s efforts of our People/Culture objectives. Additionally, it is planned for the Diversity Science Company to provide 6-months of workshops in support of our People/Culture objectives, including developing multi-cultural and inclusive curricula, prevention of bias, anti-racism education, and offering learning opportunities for inclusive teaching/learning strategies. These workshops are planned for winter term 2023. Initial discussions have occurred in the SON- Academic Practice Collaborative as well regarding safe spaces for faculty discussions.
Additionally, Stepping In: An Evidence Based Model for Responding to Discriminatory Behavior: An Active Bystander Training is available. This training workshop raises awareness of bias and set expectations for patients, staff and students/trainees to speak up/step in using the framework of practical intervention strategies.
- “Create safe spaces for students and staff for dialog, being together, and learning.”
- Started and Ongoing: Stepping In: An Evidence Based Model for Responding to Discriminatory Behavior: An Active Bystander Training is available. This training workshop raises awareness of bias and set expectations for patients, staff and students/trainees to speak up/step in using the framework of practical intervention strategies. Drop-in meetings have been hosted for students and staff for dialog, being together, and learning. Faculty member Asma Taha and Karen Reifenstein met previously with some students. This space created an opportunity for informal mentoring as well, and Karen Reifenstein continues to informally mentor a recent graduate from the SON.
- Two student interest groups-LatinX Nursing Student Association (LANSA) and Black Student Nurses-Umoja were created in 2021. A Men in Nursing student interest group is planned for fall 2022.
Strategic Objectives under People & Culture
Identify a framework to guide DEI work – exploration and affirmation of the Trauma-Informed Systems Change Framework occurred during the 2021-2022 academic year. Two-day initial training with Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia was offered to DEC, Leadership Council, and DAG members.
- Dr. Moreland-Capuia completed a comprehensive review of SON policies. She recommended consideration of a number of changes to language and process. Implementation of the policy review will proceed during 2022-2023.