Diversity Equity and Inclusion
As nurses and members of a health professions school and medical campus, we must respect all peoples from all backgrounds. Let us stand against hatred of any kind, denounce discrimination, and reject the racism, anger and hatred that drives some to destroy others.
Elias Provencio-Vasquez
RN, PhD, Dean/ProfessorOur goal is to prepare nurses who reflect the communities they serve and
are culturally responsive, demonstrating cultural humility, in order to
provide compassionate, person-centered care. We are committed to stand against all forms of discrimination and oppression in support of any minoritized, under-represented, and marginalized community. We condemn xenophobia, violence and all myriad of ways difference is exploited, both systemically
and individually. We commit to taking actions that promote respect and dignity, rights granted to every human being, and to celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of all humans. We also commit to unlearning deep root biases that cloud our judgment
on a daily basis.
- We believe health and wellbeing of body, mind, and spirit are basic human rights that should be afforded to all persons without equivocation
- We believe all people deserve affordable, high quality health care, irrespective of any of their minoritized or privileged identities
- We actively advocate for access to healthcare so all people can enjoy their highest attainable standard of health conducive to living a life in dignity.
- We commit to the acknowledgement of health inequities, through actively addressing and working toward the elimination of health disparities
- We oppose oppression and discrimination in any form and commit to advocacy for policies and programs at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels that reveal and protect the health promotion needs of marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented persons
- We commit to anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice; exposing, naming, and intervening in structural racism and other oppressive structures.
- We condemn racism, heterosexism, transmisia, ageism, ableism, sexism, and all forms of discrimination, xenophobia and violence, and will act to peacefully to protect society’s most vulnerable from threats, coercion, intimidation, and brutality
- We know health is uniquely tied to a person’s environment and, to that end, are committed to exploring the complexities of persons in their environment, including effects of environmental exposure that contributes to and exacerbates health disparities, most specifically for minoritized communities
- We believe in reproductive justice for women and transgender men/non binary persons, to have full control over their bodies, their healthcare services, as well as, the right to choose to have, or not have children, and parent children in communities that are safe and equitable.
- We believe all persons have the right to express gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sexuality freely
- We support a holistic approach to health and wellness driven by scientific knowledge and informed by evidenced based solutions.
- We approach all persons needing care with cultural humility, striving for understanding, in order to provide culturally responsive care rooted in compassion and awareness.
- We prepare nurses who reflect the communities they serve and are culturally responsive, demonstrating cultural humility, in order to provide compassionate, person-centered care.
Boldly Transforming Health Together
The College of Nursing recognizes that Boldly Transforming Health is inextricably linked to a fundamental and integral commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
It is a commitment to critical consciousness in teaching, research and scholarship, clinical care, operational practices and service to the community.
Diversity Organizations and Resources
Actions the College is Taking:
- Faculty/Staff/Student Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee has experienced a significant resurgence with increased participation across the College. Meeting regularly, the Committee hosts regular meetings and guest speakers to help staff, faculty and students become better educated on the topic.
- Ongoing Faculty and Staff Training utilizing resources from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The trainings include monthly programming and suggested reading. 155 courses have been completed by CU Nursing staff and faculty from the Office of Equity's DEI Certificate program.
- Hiring Practices -- HR requires consistent re-training on the search committee process for anyone who serves on a search committee to ensure awareness of the process, including possible impacts of implicit bias. HR also provides available options for additional training related to DEI for all search committee members (options available through SKillSoft and LinkedIn Learning)
- Curriculum Development -- faculty is currently analyzing content for their courses with an eye to diversity, equity and inclusion and revamping syllabi. In addition, the College is creating a faculty position to focus on curricular change concerning DEI.
- College Leadership -- participated in an introductory forum in which Dr. Regina Richards, Associate Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement addressed diversity best-practices, existing campus resources and future DEI training opportunities.
- Hiring -- the College is in the process of hiring a new Director of Admissions and Student Affairs to focus on DEI related to students.
- Clinical Instructor Theresa Nino, RN, MSN, is representing our College on the Anschutz Medical Campus Chancellor's Diversity Equity Inclusion and Community Engagement Leadership Council.
- Student Recruitment / Inclusive Admission Process -- the College is committed to creating a diverse student population, as a result we have incorporated a more holistic approach to admissions. In addition, the College has developed a unique educational opportunity -- Integrated Nursing Pathway (INP) --that facilitates entrance into the nursing profession for students registered at one of three local community colleges. Students in the INP track account for approximately 72% of students from under-represented populations.
- Scholarships -- we will continue to honor DEI by awarding student scholarships. The College has raised and distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for diverse, under-represented and minority students. This year, a new scholarship was developed by midwifery faculty.
- Established a website page on DEI efforts with updates.
These efforts are a start, but by no means are they comprehensive. Our pledge is to continue to fight against racism, oppression, and hatred by supporting DEI efforts through programming, education, staffing and curricular changes.
Zipporah Parks Hammond (Zippy) was the first Black woman to be accepted into and graduate from the University of Colorado’s College of Nursing. She was the only Black student in a class of 29 white students. Her perseverance and dedication to nursing helped Zippy fight her way through racism and adversity to complete her education and establish her career. During her life, she treated Black children suffering from Polio, earned her medical librarian certification, and then became the first Black woman director of medical records at the now Presbyterian/St.Luke’s. She loved to give back to her community and volunteered at the Denver Public Library for 17 years. Zippy’s two sons have nominated her for the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame five separate times without success. As more women and people of color are finally being recognized for their contributions to nursing, healthcare and the sciences, we believe in joining our collective voices with her sons at this pivotal moment! This is the year to give Zippy her very well-deserved recognition for all her hard work in paving the way for Black Indigenous Nursing Students of Color that came after her.