The year 2020 saw a wide breadth of change within health care, but it drove great change at the person and social levels, as well. Leaders across the world, especially those in health care, were confronted with a landscape full of high stress, responding to an ever-changing pandemic, as well as personal struggles that made professional life more difficult. Yet, it also primed the world for change and prompted introspection. It was through this opportunity that the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) chose to expand its work surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). DEI is a hot topic across the world but is especially applicable in health care, both from DEI of nursing staff and its application related to patient care (Murray, 2019).
The ANPD Board of Directors was in the process of updating the ANPD strategic plan and knew it wanted more of an emphasis on DEI. Strategic Goal 1 states that "ANPD will continue to thrive as a strong organization by attracting and engaging a diverse membership base" (ANPD, 2021, p. 5). Instead of being just words on a page, ANPD took action. Key steps to address DEI included the following:
1. Conduct a gap analysis related to DEI within the membership.
2. Have DEI continuing education for membership.
3. Incorporate a DEI track into annual convention.
4. Develop DEI content and resources for members.
Since that time, ANPD has moved forward with actualizing these steps.
The Board of Directors and ANPD staff are conducting an ongoing gap analysis related to DEI in terms of products, services, and membership experience. In addition, the organization partnered with Dr. James Pogue to have both members and the board participate in the "No Nonsense Experience" (NNE), a multisession event where participants had collaborative dialogue regarding various aspects of race, diversity, inclusion, and bias (JP Enterprises, 2020). Fifty-seven ANPD members participated in the NNE. A follow-up survey with those participants indicated need for further education related to DEI, as well as actionable steps nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners can take to build robust DEI education into their programs.
The Education and Products & Services Committees are looking at options to provide resources for NPD practitioners, including toolkits, quick reference guides, mentorship, and continuing education on the topic. ANPD kicked this off with education surrounding caring for transgendered patients in May. The 2021 Annual Convention "Aspire to Inclusivity" had a dedicated DEI track for those who are interested in making this their focus during convention. Dr. Pogue, of NNE fame, also served as a keynote speaker at this year's annual convention.
Stay tuned for more on how NPD practitioners can help lead within their organization to meet the growing needs of our patients, nurses, and leaders!
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