In times of crisis, academic nursing leaders must take care to ensure that vulnerable students do not get left behind. The following resources can help faculty account for the diverse needs of their students during this difficult time.
This publication by Dr. Damon Williams addresses the need for making culturally relevant decisions during the COVID-19 crisis. While understanding that we are each dealing with our own issues, we must keep asking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion questions, at every point, to ensure we are reaching and serving our most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Recommendations are presented for maintaining community and belonging while we continue to build inclusive learning environments. Read the publication here.
Has your school considered the implications of COVID-19 and the admissions process? Right now more than ever, schools must produce a quality nurse with professional dedication, ability to cope with high levels of stress, exceptional teamwork, flexibility, problem-solving, and empathy. The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially impacted these characteristics and disproportionately affected underrepresented populations where health care disparities are most prevalent. These exceptional times offer dramatic clarity about the value of holistically assessing attributes, experiences, and metrics. Join us for this webinar for an overview of the Holistic Admissions Review framework in the selection of nursing students during COVID-19. Watch the On-Demand Webinar
This resource was developed by the Appalachian State University Inclusive Excellence Team to help faculty develop supportive classroom spaces for students during difficult times. The document goes into detail about what holding space for students looks like in practice and serves as a helpful guide for faculty that are experiencing a classroom environment change. Read the document here.
This article from Rice University offers strategies to address the issue of equitable access to the learning environment. The article goes into detail about how faculty and instructors can ensure that all students have access to the materials they need to succeed in the course when the learning contexts are rapidly changing. Tips from the article range from ensuring access to technology to adapting an asynchronous course model to accommodate students' schedules. Read the article here.
The pandemic and unrest over racism in society have further exposed existing inequity in higher education and the workforce. For example, survey data from the Strada Education Network show that black and Latino Americans are more likely than white Americans to have been laid off during the crisis, and to have changed or canceled their postsecondary education plans. To get a broad perspective on these problems, Inside Higher Ed spoke with Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. Taylor is the former president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and was appointed by President Trump to chair the White House advisory board on historically black colleges and universities. Inside Higher Ed also spoke with Lorelle Espinosa, vice president for research at the American Council on Education. Espinosa has researched how minority-serving institutions serve as engines of upward mobility, and she's an expert on equity in higher education.
To submit other resources for consideration, please send to Robert Rosseter at rrosseter@aacnnursing.org.