(The above image came from The LastMile, site: Paving the road for the future.
Should we continue to pursue DEI efforts and energies to collaborate with colleagues to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?
Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc. and the Academy of Doctoral Prepared Nurses continue to offer an open invitation for anyone involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion to share thoughts in the form of an article or blog so that all colleagues can grow and enhance professional practice and innovation.
For the past two years we have included a regular column supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. We had a conference in 2023 dedicated to DEI and have requested numerous organizations to be a part of this effort by contributing thoughts, expertise, and points of view to help us all as colleagues. Now over 2 years of time have passed, and we have not received a response of support.
Perhaps one of the initiatives of the Academy of Doctoral Prepared Nurses is to explore why colleagues do not respond to requests for support and information. Truly, this has been a perplexing situation.
We have sent invitations to 14 colleges and universities that described DEI initiatives in their institutions. We have not received a reply. We have reached out to the organizations listed below and have not heard back as hoped.
National Black Nurses Association (NBNA)
National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN)
Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA)
Caribbean Nurses Association (CNA)
National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA)
DNPs of Color (DOC)
National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA)
As we move into the 6th month of 2025, we will continue our efforts through December of this year, and if no contacted organization responds, we will take down the column and posting of desired collaboration with colleagues and friends to promote DEI in our discipline. We will remain hopeful and willing to work with all colleagues, yet we will have learned a lesson that not all colleagues are willing to share and help the larger number of colleagues evolve. Sometimes, people want to keep to themselves.
The article that shared the image used above offers a great perspective on DEI specific to employment. It is informative and surprising. Please have a look!
Do you have thoughts to share? Ideas to express about DEI and its demise or desire to continue working in this area? I know many colleagues have invested years of time and effort in DEI, and they seem to have disappeared. Are you still there? If so, please share and support everyone’s effort to address these concepts and concerns to enhance our collective efforts to improve outcomes.
