1104 - Breaking the Cycle of Inequity: Let’s Change!

In an article by Fain (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic has caused or worsened equity gaps among students and faculty in higher education. Higher education facilities must intentionally address the inequities and begin to contribute strategies that will decrease equity gaps. Beginning Spring 2021, a group of nursing educators came together to address the problem of inequity practices in their college’s nursing program they had identified. Performance on academic tests and self-perceptions of academic skills had declined for our schools nursing program. Health Education Systems Inc. (HESI) exam scores for the spring 2020 also fell below typical averages, and a total of ten students did not graduate with their Associates degree due to low performance in one or more courses. Three nursing educators decided on a series of workshops for nursing students and nursing faculty that focused on breaking the Cycle of Inequity (NAPE, 2020). We chose a to implement a teaching project called Breaking the Cycle of Inequity: Let’s Change. The aim of the project was to determine if applying the culture framework to examine our college climate could increase knowledge and awareness on diversity, equity, and inclusion among nursing students. The project would target students who are enrolled in an Associate Degree Nursing Program. Participants of this teaching project would complete an anonymous, voluntary post survey after the workshop.