Impact Summit

FNU Recognized for Participation in Diversity Impact Summit

In June, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young represented Frontier at the Advancing Nursing Workforce Diversity Impact Summit, a national event that included more than 900 attendees. During the Impact Summitt, she and FNU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator Chris Turley were part of a panel discussion in which they presented on mentoring programs. Dr. Young, who also presented “Enhancing Organizational Capacity for DEI: Creating a Culture of Belonging”, also completed the inaugural AACN Diversity Leadership Institute.

The summit explored evidence-based strategies for increasing diversity, equity, andinclusion in schools of nursing from faculty and nurse leaders who described the impact and learned outcomes following the implementation of the four-year grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Thirty-two nursing schools participated in the summit, sharing the opportunities, challenges, and benefits of implementing holistic admissions review process, academic innovations, and a climate and culture assessment of their learning environments.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Chief Diversity Officer Vernell P. DeWitty, Ph.D., RN, presented FNU Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNPBC, CDE, FAANP, with a Certificate of Acknowledgment accompanied by the following letter:

“Thank you for helping to make the AACN Impact Summit so wonderful! We valued the collaboration with your school over the past 4 years to implement holistic admission practices, increase diversity and inclusion, and the identification sustainability strategies. We wish you continued success as we move forward to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce.”

Leaders for Change

Dr. Nikia Grayson Dr. Geraldine Young

Increasingly, members of the FNU community are being recognized as leaders for change in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the U.S. healthcare system. Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young was featured on a recent episode of The Nurse Practitioner Podcast to discuss her role at FNU and within other nursing organizations. She was also featured in an article published by Health Leaders Media entitled “How Frontier Nursing University Has Pioneered a More Diverse Healthcare System.”

FNU graduate Nikia Grayson, DNP, MPH, CNM, FNP, Class 142, was recently featured in a documentary produced by The New Yorker entitled “Black Mothers Face Dangerous Health-Care Disparities. Can Midwives Bridge the Gap?” She also was interviewed for a story in The Lily entitled “Home Birth Request ‘Went Through the Roof’ When the Pandemic Hit. Are They Here to Stay?” A product of The Washington Post, The Lily is an online destination for stories central to the everyday lives of millennial women.