Increasing Diversity in Nursing

IU program seeks to increase diversity of nurses in health policy and advocacy roles

Just 10 percent of Indiana’s registered nurses are people of color. The number of nurses of color involved in health policy and advocacy roles is even less.

Understanding the significant impact a lack of representation has on health outcomes in Indiana, Sharron Crowder, a clinical associate professor at the Indiana University School of Nursing, designed a program to engage nurses of color at various stages of their careers and prepare them for future positions in health policy and advocacy. Her work is supported by IU’s Racial Justice Research Fund.

“There is a gap in the number of nurses who are contributing their expertise, leadership skills and advocacy on behalf of patients and families and also in the big picture of solving or improving health outcomes in Indiana,” Crowder said. “It is such a missed opportunity when we don’t have diverse representation to bring varied perspectives and contribute to solutions.”

The “Empowering Indiana's Nurses of Color for Health Policy Leadership” program launched in January 2021 and featured a cohort of 10 nurses from all over Indiana who have expertise, leadership skills and a commitment to engage with patients of all ages to enhance and improve health care. Crowder said participants were not only passionate about being nurses, but also understood and embraced changes that need to occur to improve outcomes of Indiana residents.

Understanding the significant impact a lack of representation has on health outcomes in Indiana, IU School of Nursing’s Sharron Crowder created the “Empowering Indiana’s Nurses of Color for Health Policy Leadership” program to engage with Hoosier nurses of color and to prepare them for future positions in health policy and advocacy.

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In Indiana, our nurses of color represent only 10 percent of all of the registered nurses. And

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when we look at that small

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number, we recognize that we have even less nurses of color who are involved in health policy

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and advocacy. In January of

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2021, we launched a program that's called Empowering Nurses of Color for Health Policy

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Leadership. Think about the missed opportunity we have when we

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don't have these nurses of color at the table

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to be able to contribute to solutions because

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they know the issues, they live them.

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This cohort of nurses represent nurses

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throughout the state of Indiana

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who have the expertise, who have the leadership skills, they have the day-to-day

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commitment, working and engaging with patients of

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all different ages and then with their families

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to enhance, to improve health care. [Shandra Burton speaks off camera] I've had mentors before,

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but this program was special because I had a mentor that looked like me, and I think that's a valuable thing.

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You start this journey, and you think that you're alone,

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but there's other people that have the same interests, the same focus, and we just need to have these

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platforms to bring us all together.

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And I hope to be able to utilize what I've

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learned with my students now and in the future because they are the future of health care.

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This program has helped me

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tremendously in my role as a board member for the federally-qualified health center in my community.

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It's helped me to

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be more familiar with

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current legislation that's impacting

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our communities of color. And so, it's helped us

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with some of our decisions and some of our strategic planning.

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It is so important to get nurses of color

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involved in health care advocacy because

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we are the voice for sometimes those that

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may not be represented.

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We can provide perspective,

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we can provide nuance

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to many decisions that

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impact our communities of color.

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[Sharron Crowder speaks off camera]

We are part of a university system that's

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dedicated to preparing

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nurses who are a vital part of the healthcare

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workforce. We're layering on

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the exposure and the preparation

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for engaging in policy decision-making

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and advocacy. We cannot forget that they

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advocate for patients and families on a day-to-day basis, they advocate

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for patient populations, and they advocate for

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key issues affecting Indiana. And so

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why not expand, and to broaden, to know that when we look around, that we have the inclusion, and we have

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nurses of color who are vital

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on the front lines,

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then provide quality care.

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And let's bring their

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voices. Let's bring their expertise.

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Let's bring their leadership. Because we all want a better Indiana.

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“I feel more comfortable with the potential of being a part of a board and being able to talk freely about policies and how I can be a change agent,” said Shandra Burton, an Indianapolis-based cohort member and an assistant professor of nursing who is currently pursuing her PhD in nursing science. “It has helped me realize the potential within me, currently and in my future roles. And I hope to utilize what I have learned with my students now and in the future, because they are the future of health care.”

The program consisted of seven sessions covering a variety of topics, from learning about the legislative process and how to engage with legislators to best practices for serving as advocates to advance health outcomes of local residents. In order to build on their capacity for leadership roles, the cohort also interacted with experts from across the state and country who are engaged in health policy and advocacy in various ways.

“It is so important to get nurses of color involved in health care policy and advocacy because we are the voice for those who are not always represented,” said cohort member Johnathan Liechty, who serves as a manager of clinical staff development and the nurse residency program director for his health system in Fort Wayne. “We can provide perspective. We can provide nuance to decisions that impact our communities of color.”

Sharron Crowder

Crowder has always been a champion of mentorship, serving as a mentor for over 40 people at various stages of their careers. For her, it was only fitting that mentorship play a key role in this new program, and she was thrilled when participants asked to extend the mentorship for an additional year after the program ended.

“The program connected us with Dr. Crowder who is very gifted and very experienced, who, as a nurse of color with a PhD, was able to share her experience and her successes, as well as some of the lessons learned,” Liechty said. “I have been encouraged to find my voice. It actually encouraged all of us to be able to dialogue more effectively at the table.”

One aspect of the program that came as a pleasant surprise to Crowder was the camaraderie that formed among the cohort, who met virtually as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There was such a dynamic sense of collaboration and empowering each other,” Crowder said. “Not only are we working to empower them, but they are empowering each other because they recognize what is needed to move forward as nurses of color. This became a cohort of nursing leaders who have joined together to make an impact on the state of Indiana.”

Burton said collaborating with others in the cohort made her realize she is not alone in her goals.

“It made me realize that we need this type of environment to see that there are others out there trying to achieve the same thing,” Burton said. “We need more nurses of color involved in health policy and advocacy roles because diversity, equity and inclusion matter. Representation is important, and voices need to be heard.”

Through the sessions and mentoring, participants gained confidence in incorporating health policy and advocacy into their professional roles. Liechty said it helped broaden his perspective on how to incorporate health policy into the learning and development programs in his organization, particularly with early career nurses.

“This program has also helped me be a better board member at a health agency in my community and has helped me make better decisions about governing how that health center structures services that really meet the needs of the community,” Liechty said.

Crowder says her leadership program is just one way the School of Nursing is committed to preparing future nurses throughout the state to engage in health policy decisions and exert influence through participation in boards, legislative activities and professional organizations. But, she says, there is still more to do.

“We cannot forget that nurses advocate for patients and families on a day-to-day basis, for patient populations, for specialties and for key issues that affect Indiana,” Crowder said. “We have nurses who are vital on the frontline, who know the impact and provide quality care. Let’s bring their voices, expertise and leadership to the table. Because we all want a better Indiana.”

Increasing Diversity in Nursing

IU program seeks to increase diversity of nurses in health policy and advocacy roles

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