There is no one who, at some point in their lives, has not required the care of a nurse. With such a staggering breadth of diversity in the patient base we serve, it’s critical that the next generation of nurses not only reflects that diversity, but is sensitive to and skillful in serving whoever walks through their doors.
At Penn Nursing we put a premium on diversity within our ranks for both students and faculty alike, and work hard to overcome the barriers to representation that challenge our field.
You’ll find that everyone—from the Dean to the faculty to our students—support and advance our efforts to diversify our school and field.
Led by Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusivity Lisa Lewis, our Office of Diversity and Inclusivity is focused on bringing culturally sensitive knowledge into the classroom, while providing resources to foster the success of underrepresented minorities.
We bring students, faculty, and staff together on our Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee to share perspectives and provide leadership in steering School policy, curriculum, and support for diversity initiatives.
By paying careful attention to diversity in nursing science and education, our goal is to instill in our students the capacity to provide the highest level of care to all people.
The Elizabeth Wright Fund—which gave Penn Nursing its first student exchange program—has its roots in a time when post-operative hospital stays were longer, and when private duty nurses attended patients in the hospital as well as at home after discharge.
In the wake of major social changes, public and private sector entities across the nation have taken steps to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet while college student bodies have become more racially and ethnically diverse, there is still a dearth of underrepresented minority (URM) faculty in higher education.