WVU School of Nursing discusses LGBTQ curriculum, rural health lessons from Zimbabwe and more during Diversity Week 2022
The West Virginia University School of Nursing hosted two events during Diversity Week, including “Factors Influencing Faculty Decisions to Teach LGBTQ Content in Undergraduate Nursing Programs: A Journal Club Discussion” and “Overcoming Challenges Associated with Rural Nursing in Zimbabwe.”
While these events were hosted by the School of Nursing, they were open to the entire WVU community.
“Factors Influencing Faculty Decisions to Teach LGBTQ Content in Undergraduate Nursing Programs: A Journal Club Discussion” was held Oct. 10 via Zoom. Presented by Amy Miner, NP-C, assistant professor of nursing, the presentation reviewed and discussed study findings and work toward integrating LGBTQ content into the undergraduate nursing curriculum.
“We had rich discussion about personal or perceived barriers to including LGBTQ+ patient care in the undergraduate classroom,” Miner said. “Some of those barriers included faculty knowledge or lack thereof, not wanting to share incorrect information.”
She said all the members of the group added to the discussion about the importance of including this population as marginalized individuals. She said they related that to the social determinants of health and how LGBTQ+ individuals have higher rates of mental health issues, substance use and risk for suicide, which overlap with lack of access to care and experiencing homelessness.
“Attendees were able to think through their own personal or perceived barriers, share ways they were already including this population, and think of a few ways they could incorporate this content into their classroom.”
“Overcoming Challenges Associated with Rural Nursing in Zimbabwe” was held Oct. 13 via Zoom. Presented by Sister Dee Makuvise, a nun and nurse from Zimbabwe, and Nathaniel Palmer, a WVU Nursing sophomore, this session helped educate the audience on caring for patients in the rural and low resource healthcare setting of Masvingo, Zimbabwe.
Through this experience, participants learned about the techniques that healthcare providers utilize in Zimbabwe and their carryover to rural communities in Appalachia.
"Even though the world is very bad, and there are those who are less fortunate than others, my people deserve equivalent services to their Western counterparts," said Sister Dorothy. "Where our government has failed, members of the community have picked up the slack. I hope that those in West Virginia can learn that healthcare is the responsibility of both the government and the community, and that health is a group effort."
In addition to the SON DEI sponsored events, Brittany Jarrett and Diana McCarty represented the WVU School of Nursing during the panel "Racial Inequality in the Healthcare System" on Oct. 13, both in-person and via Zoom.
The multi-disciplinary discussion highlighted experiences within emergency care, maternal care and more that individuals of color face when accessing medical care.
“We should take these conversations from this week and process and engrain it as a part of our mindset so it may become a part of our lives,” said Katherine Atassi, chair of the School of Nursing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
"We had some amazing speakers this week and I learned so much from them," Atassi said. "Now the challenge is to incorporate this knowledge to make positive changes that can improve our behaviors to be more inclusive, thoughtful and kinder.”
WVU Diversity Week, held Oct. 9-14, endeavors to promote celebration, education and understanding of different identities, and experiences present on our campuses. Its aim is to create an atmosphere that provides the WVU community, including students, faculty and staff, the opportunity to explore different cultures, engage in discussions that bring new perspectives, and celebrate the presence of, and contributions made by, people of all identities and experiences.
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CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu