Art credit (feature image above and slide images below): Allen Roberts
The College of Graduate Nursing (CGN) strategic goal to produce a nursing workforce that mirrors the population in which it serves requires persistence, commitment and a meaningful plan: Strategically Transforming and Advancing Nursing Diversity, or STAND.
“We know that access to care continues to be an issue in Southern California. Most people prefer to access health care providers that look like them. We need to attract and support a wide array of diverse nursing students to mirror the population in Southern California,” said CGN Dean Mary M. Lopez, PhD, MSN, RN.
Associate Dean Rodney Hicks, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN is leading this initiative through breakthrough recruitment practices to demonstrate the College’s appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion and its commitment to STAND. CGN has developed a four phase STAND roadmap towards what Dr. Hicks describes as, “Making the faces of students look like the patients they will treat.”
“Nursing has historically had under representation by Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and some Asian populations, and, to a degree, males,” Hicks said. “We want individuals from diverse backgrounds, including economically disadvantaged, and coming from communities where medical care was limited,” said Dr. Hicks.
CGN’s STAND research and strategy is applicable across all of healthcare and is compelling. We encourage you to scroll through the selection of slides developed by Dr. Hicks, below. Please reach out to Dr. Hicks for more information.