UMSON Receives Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for Sixth Consecutive Year

Baltimore, Md. – For the sixth year in a row, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The HEED Award is the only national honor recognizing health schools and centers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion across their campuses. 

UMSON will be featured, along with 61 other higher education institutions, in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. 

“Receiving the 2023 Health Professions HEED Award is a significant achievement for the University of Maryland School of Nursing, by highlighting our commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity on our campus,” said Yvette Conyers, DNP, MS, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). “We are grateful for this recognition and the recognition that creating an inclusive environment is an ongoing process. The HEED Award serves as a reminder of our commitment to this important work and motivates us to continue striving for positive change.”

The Health Professions HEED Award application is open to all accredited U.S. and Canadian health profession schools, including medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary, and osteopathic medical schools. The HEED Award’s rigorous application process recognizes an institution’s level of achievement and intensity of commitment regarding broadening EDI on campus through initiatives, programs, and outreach; student recruitment, retention, and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff. UMSON’s In UniSON anti-oppression position statement guides these daily efforts and interactions.

More than 60% of UMSON students identify as racially and ethnically diverse, and 14% of the student body is male — both figures that are above average for schools of nursing nationwide. Equity and justice are one set of core values at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and UMSON works to integrate these values fully and authentically into all aspects of its work and community.

UMSON’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offers individual and departmental support with a focus on relationship and community building and advocacy, efforts aimed at ensuring equity in policies and practices at all levels. It has developed activities, events, and affinity groups to engage faculty, staff, and students in thinking more broadly about diversity and in working toward a more inclusive community.

In the past year, UMSON has launched a new multi-day Pathway to Nursing orientation program for entry-into-nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing students. This program focuses on building community, enhancing students’ understanding of professionalism, and engaging them in the importance of ongoing scholarship — creating a sense of belonging and a welcoming space for new students. Specifically, during the orientation, students learn how to conduct inclusive conversations. Student, faculty, and staff feedback after the program’s introduction in fall 2022 was very positive.

To continue to support and enhance the diversity of UMSON’s student body, the School has focused efforts on attending national conferences to recruit diverse students, such as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the National Black Nurses Association, Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia, DNPs (Doctor of Nursing Practice) of Color, and others. In the past year, UMSON also launched the Latinx Association of Nurses at University of Maryland and revitalized student participation the Black Student Nurses Association. 

Other EDI initiatives of note over the past year include professional development offerings focused on taking action against microaggressions and on being an anti-oppression organization, Pride Month recognition with workshops focused on LQBTQ+ topics, and a five-week Spanish language seminar to promote a more diverse and welcoming community in honor of Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month. 

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling more than 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.