Diversity & Inclusion

Nursing Workforce Diversity Conference Career Fair

Commitment to Inclusive Excellence

The School of Nursing actively fosters an environment of inclusive excellence that welcomes diversity among its students, faculty, and staff. Awareness of diversity and promotion of inclusivity is central to our curricula, social and educational events, and resources and services.

We embrace a definition of diversity that acknowledges the intersection of multiple factors, perspectives, and identities, which include but are not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, age, and physical characteristics.

Connect with us

Campus Resources

School of Nursing Inclusive Excellence Plan

Our tradition of integrated research and practice focuses on the needs of those whose health status or social condition leaves them vulnerable or places them at risk. Our collaborative innovations increase the diversity of participation in healthcare research, promote sharing of diverse interprofessional perspectives, provide tools to support those working with vulnerable populations, and enhance community engagement.

A Tradition of Integrated Research and Practice

STREAM | Success Through Recruitment/ Retention, Engagement, and Mentorship

STREAM is designed to help Native American students attain their goal of becoming professional nurses. STREAM students receive peer support and mentorship as well as academic and financial support.

Pride and Prejudice in Health Care
To improve health outcomes for LGBTQ+ patients, nurses must challenge their own biases and advocate for their patients, as individuals and as a community.
Breaking the Code
As trained advocates, nurses help bridge the gap in the quality of health care people receive by assessing and addressing various social determinants of health, such as a patient’s environment or their access to proper resources. For the Black community, systemic racism is one such determinant.
Celebrating a Decade of Success with the CARDS
For a little over a decade, the Wisconsin Network for Research Support has been focused on patient and community engagement, as well as providing innovative services to help clients and researchers connect with participants and key stakeholders throughout every stage of their projects.
A Message from Dean Scott
I write to you today knowing there are high emotions being felt by individuals and communities in response to the jury’s verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. I feel it deeply myself.
More Stories about Diversity & Inclusion

Understanding diversity is an ongoing process that involves lifelong learning, and we believe that this continued learning is crucial to improving health, ensuring equity, and providing a positive, supportive climate in which all individuals are welcome.

Resources for Students & Educators

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Nursing Resources

A collection of downloadable and web-based articles and resources to help understand and teach about diversity issues in nursing. We can help connect you with other resources that you need.

Diversity and Inclusion in Our Curriculum

School of Nursing courses with a social justice focus include 510, 437, and 702.

Diversity and Inclusion for Faculty Development

The Inclusive Excellence in Nursing Certificate for Faculty and Staff is forthcoming. More details available Fall 2019.

Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant

The Lawton Grant was established to increase the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students and reduce their loan indebtedness post-graduation. The award can range from $1,000 to $3,000 per academic year, with a maximum of 8 semesters of eligibility.

Multicultural Student Nurse Organization

The Multicultural Student Nurse Organization (MSNO) is a student-founded and -directed organization dedicated to improving students of color’s experiences, expertise, and preparedness for succeeding in nursing curriculum and professions and for caring for patients of all backgrounds across care settings.

People Program at SoN

The School of Nursing works with the PEOPLE (Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence) each summer by participating in a health care high school internship and a middle school nursing career exploration workshop. PEOPLE High School and Middle School students learn the roles nurses play through clinical internships, simulation labs, field trips, and interactive activities.

PRIDE in Healthcare

PRIDE in Healthcare is an interdisciplinary health sciences student organization dedicated to improving the healthcare conditions for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other sexual orientation and/or gender identity minority (LGBTQ+) people. Nurses as well as nursing students, faculty and staff can play an important role in advancing health for the LGBTQ+ community as healthcare providers and patient advocates.

STREAM Program for Native American Nursing Students

Success Through Recruitment/Retention, Engagement, and Mentorship is a program in the UW-Madison School of Nursing designed to help Native American students attain their goal of becoming professional nurses. STREAM students will receive peer support, mentorship, academic and financial support.

More Campus Resources

Student-focused

AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American)-MAPS Pre-Health Society is a student organization to help achieve a well-rounded perspective of the healthcare field, enriching experiences, and community service opportunities.
The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center: Supporting LGBTQ+ students and their communities is a unit of the Division of Student Life
The Multicultural Student Center strengthens and sustains an inclusive campus.

Research-focused

The Community Advisors on Research Design and Strategies (CARDS) provides feedback on how to make research materials clearer and more engaging.
The UW-Madison STEM diversity network is the online destination for resources related to STEM diversity on campus and beyond.

New Diversity & Inclusion Resources

Annual Events

LGBTQ+ Health Summit

The LGBTQ+ Health Summit educates and activates the health sciences community on LGBTQ+ health, creating new pathways to serve LGBTQ+ communities. The next summit will take place April 14, 2022.

Native Nations Nursing Summit

The Native Nations Nursing Summit, held in November, focuses on educating nurses about the public health needs of Wisconsin Native communities while highlighting the use of an integrated team model in healthcare. "Resilience and Native Nursing in the Age of COVID-19," the 6th annual summit, took place online November 19, 2020.

Nursing Workforce Diversity Conference

Held each February, the Nursing Workforce Diversity Conference and career fair connects nurses, nursing students, healthcare employers and educators in order to develop more inclusive healthcare systems that welcome diverse nurses and enable them to succeed and thrive.