AACN UofM’s Loewenberg College of Nursing Selected for National Initiative by American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Aug. 1, 2022 — The UofM’s Loewenberg College of Nursing has been selected by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as one of 50 schools to participate in a national initiative designed to foster inclusive learning environments and build a more diverse nursing workforce.
The UofM is one of 50 schools of nursing from 28 states to have been selected from nearly 250 applicants.
“Given the current cultural and political landscape, schools of nursing are finding it difficult to create an environment of respect, inclusivity and belonging,” said Dr. Larry Slater, interim dean, UofM Loewenberg College of Nursing. “The efforts of AACN and Loewenberg, in conjunction with the other pilot schools, will be a huge step in developing actionable tools and processes to ensure schools of nursing are building a culture of belonging for all, no matter one's age, gender or gender identity, race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, health status or disability.
“These tools will allow Loewenberg to continue to adhere to its core values of caring, diversity, integrity and leadership, while providing a safe and nurturing environment where all faculty, staff and students can successfully learn and grow into the nursing profession.”
In January 2022, AACN commenced a project titled “Building a Culture of Belonging in Academic Nursing” with funding from Johnson & Johnson. AACN launched this initiative to help schools of nursing create environments where students, faculty and staff possess a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to thrive.
“Creating a learning culture where all individuals are able to develop and do their best work is critical to achieving academic nursing’s goals related to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN president and chief executive officer. “AACN is pleased to join with 50 member schools to pilot test a new tool that will help to evolve how nurse educators approach teaching, learning and professional engagement.”
To support this project, AACN developed a digital platform to administer its Leading Across Multidimensional Perspectives (LAMP®) Culture and Climate Survey. This instrument collects data on student, faculty and staff perceptions of their college classrooms as communities in five thematic areas: fair treatment and observations of discrimination, belongingness, value of diversity and inclusion, campus services and clinical training.
Using data collected via LAMP, AACN will provide institution-level assessments and action reports to participating schools related to developing inclusive academic environments. This tool provides administrators with a better understanding of how their campus climate influences student experiences and achievement. With assessment data from internal stakeholders, educators are equipped with valuable information needed to initiate change, target areas of growth and most importantly, improve student outcomes. AACN will also use aggregate data collected from participating schools to identify best practices and success strategies that can be deployed at institutions nationwide.
Following a call for pilot schools that netted nearly 250 applicants, the following schools were selected to participate in the next administration of the LAMP survey:
Arizona College of Nursing
Baylor University
Binghamton University
California State University, Stanislaus
Case Western Reserve University
Chamberlain University
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science
Emory University
Florida Atlantic University
Frontier Nursing University
Jefferson College of Nursing
Loyola University of New Orleans
LSU Health New Orleans
New York University
North Dakota State University
Oregon Health & Science University
Pace University
Prairie View A&M University
Purdue University Northwest
Randolph-Macon College
Rush University
Rutgers University
Shenandoah University
Stockton University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Texas Tech University Health Science Center
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Iowa
University of Maryland
University of Memphis
University of Michigan - Flint
University of New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina Pembroke
University of Portland
University of South Florida
University of Southern Maine
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas Medical Branch
UTHealth Houston
Western Governors University
Widener University
Wilmington University
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Schools selected to participate in this pilot study are geographically diverse and represent a range of institutional types (public and private institutions; small and large schools; rural and urban-serving programs, etc.) Having a broad range of participating schools is important to securing results that can be generalizable across all types of nursing schools.
Pilot testing of the LAMP survey will be completed in spring 2023. AACN will disseminate aggregate findings to all schools of nursing next year.
For more information on this initiative and the LAMP Culture and Climate Survey, contact AACN’s Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Christine Downing, at cdowning@aacnnursing.org.