New Grant Supports Penn Nursing Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Work
Penn Nursing’s efforts to further integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into its curricula received a boost recently, thanks to a new grant from The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women (TCPW).
TCPW funding will support Penn Nursing’s Nursing Social Justice Project, an effort that assesses where biases may occur within the current curricula, with an eye toward developing strategies for more inclusive teaching. As the #1-ranked nursing school in the world, Penn Nursing recognizes that decades of effort to increase diversity, remove bias, and imbed cultural competencies has moved the needle forward—but there is much left to do to ensure that structural racism is not entrenched in curricular content.
“Social justice is at the heart of Penn Nursing’s mission and values,” says Antonia Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing. “Nurses—through their research, practice, education, and advocacy—are an important component in leading the elimination of health disparities and in achieving health equity. I am thankful that TCPW is supporting us in the work needed to ensure Penn Nursing both develops nurses that will tirelessly advocate for better health care for all and maintains its status as a welcoming and inclusive space for all students.”
TCPW is an international network of Penn Alumnae. These leaders, by power of their example, support, foster, and promote the advancement of women and women’s issues within the University, thus enriching the University community as a whole.