- Email: [email protected]
Diverse voices
President’s Message
Diverse voices Diversity in nursing encompasses a number of dimensions, among them race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and diversity of thought and substantive expertise.. As leaders in advancing health policy to promote health for all populations, the American Academy of Nursing is committed to modeling diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of our organization’s performance.. To serve the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge requires that the Academy foster diversity in its Fellows by ensuring that: (1) our Fellowship and leaders reflect the increasingly diverse society we serve and the broad scope of contributions of leaders across nursing; (2) we offer sufficient opportunities for engaging all Fellows in the work of the Academy; and (3) our policies and practices are aligned to achieve these goals.
The American Academy of Nursing seeks to be a model organization on diversity and inclusivity. How are we doing? I asked myself that recently when I received feedback from two fellows that gave me pause. One fellow, a person of racial minority, told me that she did not always feel comfortable within her Academy group to voice an opinion that reflected her own experiences with disparities and clearly went against the dominant view of the group. A second fellow said that she did not express an opposing perspective at a policy dialogue last October after a presenter came across as not welcoming of diverse views. Several years ago, the Board of Directors of the Academy appointed a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusivity. Fellows had expressed concerns about the lack of diversity among the fellowship, including ethnic, sex, and positional considerations across service, academia, government, military, and other settings. The premise is that having diverse voices and experiences will better position the Academy to be a leader in the transformation of health care. Subsequent boards’ commitment to these values resulted in the task force becoming a permanent committee as the Academy strives to become a model organization that exemplifies diversity and inclusivity. In 2012, the Board adopted a revision of a 2008 statement on diversity and inclusivity that states the following:
Positional diversity was enhanced when the Academy changed its criteria for fellow selection from work that was “above and beyond” one’s everyday job to requiring that applicants demonstrate sustained, seminal contributions to nursing and health care at regional, national, or international levels. The former wording favored academics who are expected to publish and be engaged in community service and organizational leadership. Today, we continue to seek new fellows from all settings who can demonstrate a significant impact of their work on our profession, health care, and policy. Our new strategic plan calls for not only expertise in reforming health care but also in addressing upstream factors contributing to inequities undermining health of communities. The Board and Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity have been proactive in reaching out to various sectors of our profession, particularly those that are underrepresented, to encourage new applicants as well as help future potential candidates think about including the Academy on their career path. The Nominating Committee works hard to present a slate that is diverse in various dimensions. In the past 2 years, the immediate past president has advised the Nominating Committee on the representational needs of the Board and Fellow Selection Committee and helped clarify questions about our diversity intentions. The board conducts committee and task force appointments within its purview with an eye toward the diversity of viewpoints. The “Can we talk?” session at the business meeting each October was established by former president Joanne Disch as a way of encouraging all fellows to share their thoughts about a select issue. The current Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity has been discussing what inclusivity means. Under the
Nurs Outlook 62 (2014) 74e75
fine leadership of Suzanne Feetham, Gloria Ramsey, and Garrett Chan, the committee has concluded that “Improving diversity without actions of inclusivity limits the scope and functions of the Academy.. Inclusion is an issue of the Academy environment and not just an issue of numbers.” Careful consideration of conflicting evidence and diverse viewpoints is foundational to the policy work of the Academy. Our purpose is not to advance the nursing profession per se; rather, it is to advance the health of people and improve health care by providing an evidence-based nursing perspective on policy. When empirical evidence is lacking, frameworks and logic may play a greater role. Of course, one person’s framework and logical argument is another’s whacky idea unless we are willing to encourage dissenting views, listen intently without judgment, and probe more deeply into how to build consensus among diverse perspectives. We are not yet a model organization. We are working hard to become one, including with regard to the more obvious elements of diversity, such as ethnicity, gender, and positions. The Board of Directors has adopted a set of principles for its work together. These include the following: We encourage and create space for the expression of diverse ideas. We take responsibility for creating a “safe space” for our deliberations that includes operating without fear, being willing to put forth bold ideas or concerns that may be controversial, and knowing that fellow board members will listen without judgment.
75
Walking the talk is challenging. We live in the midst of a cacophony of politically strident sparring sessions even in leading media outlets, but the Academy is determined to live up to its commitment to become a model organization for diversity and inclusivity. I encourage each of you who is involved in an expert panel or other work group within the Academy to request that the group discuss its own principles for creating a safe space for the inclusion of diverse perspectives. I look forward to the continued guidance of our thoughtful, engaged Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity. We can all contribute to becoming a model organization for these values. Author Description Diana J. Mason, Rudin Professor of Nursing and Codirector, Center for Health, Media & Policy, Hunter College; and Professor, City University of New York, New York, NY.
Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, President American Academy of Nursing, Washington, DC Corresponding author: Dr. Diana J. Mason, 455 W 44th Street, #22, New York, NY 10036. E-mail address: [email protected]
0029-6554/$ e see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2014.02.002
Diverse voices Diversity in nursing encompasses a number of dimensions, among them race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and diversity of thought and substantive expertise.. As leaders in advancing health policy to promote health for all populations, the American Academy of Nursing is committed to modeling diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of our organization’s performance.. To serve the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge requires that the Academy foster diversity in its Fellows by ensuring that: (1) our Fellowship and leaders reflect the increasingly diverse society we serve and the broad scope of contributions of leaders across nursing; (2) we offer sufficient opportunities for engaging all Fellows in the work of the Academy; and (3) our policies and practices are aligned to achieve these goals.
The American Academy of Nursing seeks to be a model organization on diversity and inclusivity. How are we doing? I asked myself that recently when I received feedback from two fellows that gave me pause. One fellow, a person of racial minority, told me that she did not always feel comfortable within her Academy group to voice an opinion that reflected her own experiences with disparities and clearly went against the dominant view of the group. A second fellow said that she did not express an opposing perspective at a policy dialogue last October after a presenter came across as not welcoming of diverse views. Several years ago, the Board of Directors of the Academy appointed a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusivity. Fellows had expressed concerns about the lack of diversity among the fellowship, including ethnic, sex, and positional considerations across service, academia, government, military, and other settings. The premise is that having diverse voices and experiences will better position the Academy to be a leader in the transformation of health care. Subsequent boards’ commitment to these values resulted in the task force becoming a permanent committee as the Academy strives to become a model organization that exemplifies diversity and inclusivity. In 2012, the Board adopted a revision of a 2008 statement on diversity and inclusivity that states the following:
Positional diversity was enhanced when the Academy changed its criteria for fellow selection from work that was “above and beyond” one’s everyday job to requiring that applicants demonstrate sustained, seminal contributions to nursing and health care at regional, national, or international levels. The former wording favored academics who are expected to publish and be engaged in community service and organizational leadership. Today, we continue to seek new fellows from all settings who can demonstrate a significant impact of their work on our profession, health care, and policy. Our new strategic plan calls for not only expertise in reforming health care but also in addressing upstream factors contributing to inequities undermining health of communities. The Board and Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity have been proactive in reaching out to various sectors of our profession, particularly those that are underrepresented, to encourage new applicants as well as help future potential candidates think about including the Academy on their career path. The Nominating Committee works hard to present a slate that is diverse in various dimensions. In the past 2 years, the immediate past president has advised the Nominating Committee on the representational needs of the Board and Fellow Selection Committee and helped clarify questions about our diversity intentions. The board conducts committee and task force appointments within its purview with an eye toward the diversity of viewpoints. The “Can we talk?” session at the business meeting each October was established by former president Joanne Disch as a way of encouraging all fellows to share their thoughts about a select issue. The current Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity has been discussing what inclusivity means. Under the
Nurs Outlook 62 (2014) 74e75
fine leadership of Suzanne Feetham, Gloria Ramsey, and Garrett Chan, the committee has concluded that “Improving diversity without actions of inclusivity limits the scope and functions of the Academy.. Inclusion is an issue of the Academy environment and not just an issue of numbers.” Careful consideration of conflicting evidence and diverse viewpoints is foundational to the policy work of the Academy. Our purpose is not to advance the nursing profession per se; rather, it is to advance the health of people and improve health care by providing an evidence-based nursing perspective on policy. When empirical evidence is lacking, frameworks and logic may play a greater role. Of course, one person’s framework and logical argument is another’s whacky idea unless we are willing to encourage dissenting views, listen intently without judgment, and probe more deeply into how to build consensus among diverse perspectives. We are not yet a model organization. We are working hard to become one, including with regard to the more obvious elements of diversity, such as ethnicity, gender, and positions. The Board of Directors has adopted a set of principles for its work together. These include the following: We encourage and create space for the expression of diverse ideas. We take responsibility for creating a “safe space” for our deliberations that includes operating without fear, being willing to put forth bold ideas or concerns that may be controversial, and knowing that fellow board members will listen without judgment.
75
Walking the talk is challenging. We live in the midst of a cacophony of politically strident sparring sessions even in leading media outlets, but the Academy is determined to live up to its commitment to become a model organization for diversity and inclusivity. I encourage each of you who is involved in an expert panel or other work group within the Academy to request that the group discuss its own principles for creating a safe space for the inclusion of diverse perspectives. I look forward to the continued guidance of our thoughtful, engaged Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity. We can all contribute to becoming a model organization for these values. Author Description Diana J. Mason, Rudin Professor of Nursing and Codirector, Center for Health, Media & Policy, Hunter College; and Professor, City University of New York, New York, NY.
Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, President American Academy of Nursing, Washington, DC Corresponding author: Dr. Diana J. Mason, 455 W 44th Street, #22, New York, NY 10036. E-mail address: [email protected]
0029-6554/$ e see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2014.02.002