Abstract
Purpose: Racial bias contributes to health disparities. Efforts to increase awareness of principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are needed to reduce health disparities. Increasing diversity of the U.S. population highlights an imperative that student nurses graduate with the skills necessary to care for all patients. Proliferation of anti-DEI laws has meant that in some states, faculty are not able to teach about diversity and the root causes of health disparities. Some faculty have reported they are removing content related to social determinants of health from their lectures and readings for fear of losing their jobs. The purpose of this project is to determine how anti-DEI laws have affected nursing faculty and their ability to teach health disparity.
Methods: To date, 10 states have implemented anti-DEI laws and 8 have language that impact higher education. We reviewed the laws of each state to determine the extent of restrictions and what content can be taught in the classroom. Concurrently, a scoping review of the literature was done to determine the extent of anti-DEI laws on nursing and other health profession faculty. This data will inform a mixed-methods study to determine the impact on nursing education. Findings from the study will be used to provide evidence to support reversing higher education restrictions.
Results: According to the U.S. Census Bureau Diversity Index, the diversity of the population is increasing; in 2010 diversity was 54.9%, in 2020 diversity was 61.1% and this trend is predicted to continue. Health disparities have not improved since the first Unequal Treatment report was released. The follow up report Unequal Treatment Revisited indicates that health disparities continue to persist among certain racial and ethnic groups. Four of the eight recommendations to address health disparities (increase minority health professionals, improve education on bias treatment, increase awareness of racial and ethnic disparities, address structural determinants of health) are forbidden by some states’ anti-DEI laws.
Conclusion: Censoring educational content that pertains to DEI is a disservice to nursing students and the public who will one day be treated by them. A solid understanding of health disparities, health equity, social determinants of health, and principles of social justice will help nurses deliver high quality care from a place of cultural humility. In the absence of these skills, unequal treatment will persist
Notes
References:
1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Unequal treatment revisited: The current state of racial and ethnic disparities in health care: Proceedings of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27448
2. Murray, T. A., Oerther, S. & Simmons, K. J. (2023). Anti-DEI legislation targeting colleges and universities: Its potential impacts on nursing education and the pursuit of health equity. Nursing Outlook 71(4), 1-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101994
3. Hoag, L. (June 5, 2024). How a rising wave of anti-DEI politics harms patients and health workers.
4. Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. (October 10, 2023). How a rising wave of anti-DEI politics harms patients and health workers. University of Pennsylvania. https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/how-a-rising-wave-of-anti-dei-politics-harms-patients-and-health-workers
5. U.S. Census Bureau. (2021, August 12). 2020 United States population more racially and ethnically diverse than in 2010. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/2020-united-states-population-more-racially-ethnically-diverse-than-2010.html
Sigma Membership
Nu at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
DEI/BIPOC, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Racial Bias
Recommended Citation
Mosley, Michael and Bowen, Felesia, "The Impact of Removing Concepts of Health Equity from US Nursing Education: A Scoping Review" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 55.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/55
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
The Impact of Removing Concepts of Health Equity from US Nursing Education: A Scoping Review
Seattle, Washington, USA
Purpose: Racial bias contributes to health disparities. Efforts to increase awareness of principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are needed to reduce health disparities. Increasing diversity of the U.S. population highlights an imperative that student nurses graduate with the skills necessary to care for all patients. Proliferation of anti-DEI laws has meant that in some states, faculty are not able to teach about diversity and the root causes of health disparities. Some faculty have reported they are removing content related to social determinants of health from their lectures and readings for fear of losing their jobs. The purpose of this project is to determine how anti-DEI laws have affected nursing faculty and their ability to teach health disparity.
Methods: To date, 10 states have implemented anti-DEI laws and 8 have language that impact higher education. We reviewed the laws of each state to determine the extent of restrictions and what content can be taught in the classroom. Concurrently, a scoping review of the literature was done to determine the extent of anti-DEI laws on nursing and other health profession faculty. This data will inform a mixed-methods study to determine the impact on nursing education. Findings from the study will be used to provide evidence to support reversing higher education restrictions.
Results: According to the U.S. Census Bureau Diversity Index, the diversity of the population is increasing; in 2010 diversity was 54.9%, in 2020 diversity was 61.1% and this trend is predicted to continue. Health disparities have not improved since the first Unequal Treatment report was released. The follow up report Unequal Treatment Revisited indicates that health disparities continue to persist among certain racial and ethnic groups. Four of the eight recommendations to address health disparities (increase minority health professionals, improve education on bias treatment, increase awareness of racial and ethnic disparities, address structural determinants of health) are forbidden by some states’ anti-DEI laws.
Conclusion: Censoring educational content that pertains to DEI is a disservice to nursing students and the public who will one day be treated by them. A solid understanding of health disparities, health equity, social determinants of health, and principles of social justice will help nurses deliver high quality care from a place of cultural humility. In the absence of these skills, unequal treatment will persist
Description
The 2003 report Unequal Treatment confirmed that racial bias contributes to health disparities. It was the catalyst for including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles in nursing education. Schools introduced the concept of social determinants of health and there was an intentional effort to admit and hire diverse students and faculty. Anti-DEI laws are censoring what faculty teach. Eliminating DEI content will impact how new nurses practice and could increase health disparities.