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SUNY Downstate Selected to Participate In American Association Colleges of Nursing National Initiative

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Aug 3, 2022

SUNY Downstate’s College of Nursing Will Join Forces With 49 Schools to Foster Inclusive Environments and Build a More Diverse Nursing Workforce

Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has been selected to participate in a national initiative from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to foster inclusive learning environments and build a more diverse workforce. The project titled Building a Culture of Belonging in Academic Nursing launched in January 2022 with funding from Johnson and Johnson to help schools of nursing create environments where students, faculty, and staff possess a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to thrive.

“We’re delighted to be selected to participate in this initiative by the American Association Colleges of Nursing,” said Lori A. Escallier, Ph.D. RN CPNP-PC, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing at Downstate. “At Downstate, we’re prioritizing initiatives that focus on health equity, diversity, and inclusion that will allow us to provide the highest quality of healthcare to every patient we serve. Inclusive learning is crucial for success, and I am confident that our participation in this program will help our nursing program to continue to grow and evolve.”

Using a digital platform called Leading Across Multidimensional Perspectives (LAMP), which was developed by the AACN, data will be collected from SUNY Downstate student, faculty, and staff based on their perceptions of their college classrooms as communities. AACN will use the data collected to provide institution-level assessments and action reports to help administrators with a better understanding of how their campus climate influences student experiences and achievement.

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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) is Downstate's teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.

In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)—and offering the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs—Downstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. In addition to UHD, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.