Enhancing Health Equity: Outcomes of an Interprofessional-Led Racial Equity Course for School Nurses in Massachusetts
Background
The School Health Institute for Education and Leadership Development (SHIELD) recently designed and implemented a racial equity professional development course for school nurses, with the aim of enhancing cultural competence in school nursing practice. The following is a description of the course design and an evaluation of its outcomes.
Design/Methodology
An interdisciplinary team of experts, from the fields of education, healthcare, social sciences, and policy, designed and delivered the course. The course incorporated content from the racial justice competency model (RJCM) and the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development course on institutional racism in health and science. The curriculum consisted of four sessions over the academic year, three delivered online via Zoom and one in-person. The course utilized instructor presentations, group discussions, interactive activities, and course surveys. Topics included: 1) understanding the history and legacy of racism, 2) physiological consequences of racism in education, 3) utilizing data to make informed decisions, and 4) becoming anti-racist school health practitioners.
Results/Implications
The course was evaluated using the Kirkpatrick model. Evaluation results indicated high participant engagement, improved understanding of racial complexities, and behavioral changes post-training. 449 individuals attended the four sessions, and 82% completed the evaluation survey. Among respondents, 94.1% affirmed clear content presentation, and 89.5% expressed overall training satisfaction. Post-test data indicated an enhanced understanding of the subject matter (92.4%), and 80.3% identified actionable steps to apply in practice. Course participants developed plans to promote racial equity, including bias identification, analyzing data sources, integrating a racial equity lens, continuous learning, collaborating with staff, forming partnerships, and enhancing communication through inclusivity measures. Inter-session follow-up surveys showed these action plans were implemented.
Conclusion
The findings demonstrate the course’s potential to enhance racial equity competencies and drive meaningful actions in school nurses’ work environments.
Reflections/Lessons Learned/Implications
Implementing a racial equity professional development course is feasible and can enhance racial equity competencies for school health professionals. Continuous professional development and institutional support is important to sustain changes. The SHIELD course can serve as a model for similar initiatives that aim to address health inequities and institutional racism in school environments.
How the poster fulfills the priority criteria
The poster detailed an interprofessional collaboration to address health equity, racism, and bias in school nursing practice. The course offers strategies to address individual and systemic racism and promotes actionable plans for advocacy, including health equity and a racial equity lens in school nursing practice.