Building Nurse Upstanders for Health Equity

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Equity Research
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Health inequities persist globally and within the United States.
• Racism is a significant root cause of health inequities.
• Current nursing and health science curricula inadequately address racism's role in health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of immersive, experiential learning on nursing students' understanding of health equity.
• To foster the development of 'upstanders' for health equity among future nurses.
• To integrate critical social justice concepts into nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Undergraduate nursing students participated in a non-traditional experiential learning activity.
• The experience involved a visit to a Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
• This immersive approach aimed to build capacity for advocating for health equity.

Main Results:

• Students were inspired to conduct research focused on advocating for vulnerable populations.
• Student research addressed critical issues of health equity.
• Findings were disseminated through presentations at local, national, and international conferences.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educators must ensure curricula are current, inclusive, and address patient/community health needs.
• Immersive experiences are a viable strategy for dismantling structural racism in healthcare.
• Educational interventions can improve patient and population health outcomes by addressing root causes of inequity.