UR Nursing Recognized with Top Diversity Award for 8th Consecutive Year

For an eighth year in a row, the University of Rochester School of Nursing has received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

UR Nursing was one of 19 nursing schools across the U.S. and two in New York to earn the Health Professions 2024 HEED Award.

“We are deeply honored to receive national recognition for our collective efforts to foster an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)," said Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN. 

The eighth HEED award is a testament to the School’s ongoing work to incorporate principles of DEI across its education, research, and practice missions.

“As healthcare professionals, we recognize that our journey is ongoing. This award offers an opportunity not only to celebrate our strengths in DEI, but to measure our progress and identify ways we can continue to grow," said Caroline Nestro, PhD, MS, RN, director of DEI for affiliate hospitals at UR Medicine and the School of Nursing’s interim DEI director.

“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

UR Nursing has been recognized by INSIGHT for its efforts to reduce barriers to nursing education. In particular, the UR Nursing Scholars program, introduced in Fall 2023, has attracted and admitted more than 150 students from diverse backgrounds and professional experiences. The initiative offers tuition coverage in exchange for a three-year work commitment at a UR Medicine-affiliated hospital after passing the NCLEX licensure exam.
The program has made remarkable strides in increasing diversity within the nursing workforce. Currently, 41 percent of admitted Scholars come from historically minoritized groups, which is more than double the national percentage of registered nurses from these groups. Additionally, nearly 20 percent of admitted Scholars are men, surpassing the national average of 12 percent for male registered nurses, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Across all academic programs, the School prepares students to address the needs of diverse patient populations, instilling an understanding of how discrimination in healthcare impacts patients’ and overall communities’ well-being. Nursing students have opportunities to engage in Quality and Safety Interprofessional Communication courses with the School of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the Community Action Poverty Simulation for bachelor’s and nurse practitioner students.

As part of a University-wide initiative, 18 faculty members have earned a “Fostering a Culture of Belonging” micro-credential through a partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). The program equipped participants with actionable practices to ensure all students and colleagues feel seen, heard, and valued.

In recent years, the School’s growing Research mission has welcomed faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students from across the U.S. and countries including Ghana, India, Indonesia, and South Korea, to advance health care delivery and outcomes both locally and internationally. Ongoing health-equity focused studies are actively addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, such as LGBTQ+ young adult cancer survivors, dementia caregivers in the Latino community, and several communities who are least likely to benefit from HIV prevention interventions such as PrEP, such as Black and Latine women in the U.S. and young sexual minority men in metropolitan Ghana.

The School has also continued to sponsor memberships in the Rochester Black Nurses Association (RBNA) and co-sponsors RBNA events throughout the year. Chartered here at the School of Nursing in 2018, the RBNA serves as a voice for Black nurses, supports their professional growth, and develops programs to address health disparities in the local Black community.

Extensive community outreach programming has bolstered the School’s efforts to improve health outcomes in the Rochester community, especially among underserved populations. Since 2018, a nursing career exploration program in collaboration with East High School has equipped local students with clinical, research, and professional skills to prepare them for healthcare jobs and college majors. The annual “See What You Can Bee” Day, a partnership with the Rochester City School District (RCSD), invites sixth-graders to spend a day exploring roles in healthcare through hands-on activities led by UR Medicine clinicians and nursing students. Several school-based health centers throughout RCSD, led by UR Nursing, are actively improving the physical health, mental health, and overall well-being of students across the city.

The School will continue to expand its DEI initiatives as the 2025 Strategic Planning process takes place. Nestro and Professor of Clinical Nursing Susan Blaakman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, currently lead a Culture workgroup, whose goal is to “cultivate an inclusive, equitable, and diverse culture that supports the wellbeing, development, engagement, and success of our students, staff, faculty, practitioners, and community.”

“Embracing values of equity, inclusion, and social justice across our School’s tripartite mission not only enriches our learning environment, but prepares our nurses to serve the communities they work in with empathy, understanding, and respect,” Blaakman said. “We recognize the strides we have made as an institution, and continue to reflect inward and work toward a brighter, more equitable, and just future.”

At UR Nursing, we are working to ensure our teaching, scholarship, and service embody the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice. Read our full diversity statement.