Development of a policy equity impact assessment tool

Efforts to eradicate historically rooted inequities in nursing education require examining policies and decisions through an equity lens. Policy equity impact assessment tools (EIAT) are designed to analyze impact of policies and decisions to create more equitable outcomes.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a policy EIAT in a school of nursing that aligns with trauma-informed educational practices.

Literature and existing policy equity impact assessments used in educational, social justice organizational, and governmental settings were reviewed to develop a tool to aid decision-making and policymaking and revision.

The tool developed considers who benefits and is burdened by a policy, unintended consequences, community member involvement, and how to mitigate trauma and harm.

This tool can be adapted to other nursing education programs and practice settings.

A policy EIAT has the potential to create more equitable policies and to dismantle structural racism in nursing education.