The Indiana University East School of Nursing and Health Sciences recently receive a grant that will support the school’s efforts in health equity, diversity and inclusion efforts, mentoring programs and well-being.

IU East is one of eight nursing schools across Indiana, along with Community Health Network, to receive an HRSA Diversity in Nursing sub-award grant through the Indiana Center of Nursing (ICN). The ICN is providing the sub-awards under its Nursing Education and Engagement in Diversity Statewide 2B (NEEDS2B) Program.

An IU East student talks with Nichole Mann, director of Nursing Student Services at IU East.

Karen Clark, Ed.D., R.N., dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at IU East, said the sub-award grant will strengthen the school’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

“The award assists in decreasing barriers and enhancing supports for diverse students,” Clark said. “The grant will support and expand our initiatives related to holistic admission and increasing diversity of the nursing workforce.”

According to the ICN, the four-year award will assist in the creation of replicable programs that diversify the nursing workforce and improve health care equity across all sectors, while highlighting the importance of collaboration with diverse stakeholders of all types.

As part of the HRSA grant, each school will work in collaboration to achieve three main goals set by the ICN including increasing diversity in the state’s nursing workforce; expand implementation of the current mentoring programs of the schools; and address social determinants of health and education through a collaborative partnership representing academia, practice, and the community at large.

In order to increase diversity and inclusion within the nursing profession, the ICN is providing the sub-award grant for the schools to use as scholarships and stipends for students accepted to a nursing degree program. Additionally, the grant requires a holistic review for admissions to the school of nursing and mentoring programs, and will focus on recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, increasing the percentage of enrollment, retention and graduation of diverse students, and for the inclusion of cultural intelligence education.

“We anticipate these monies will assist at least six students,” Clark said, adding the grant will provide $2,000 in scholarships and stipends of $4,200 for each of the diverse nursing students.

Clark added the grant also supports a project coordinator for the campus. At IU East, the project manager is Nichole Mann, the director of Nursing Student Services for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“Nichole will be responsible for working with students, continuing to facilitate our mentoring and student support initiatives, and will oversee the evaluation data required by the grant and HRSA,” she said.

Mann is familiar with ICN’s support for nursing students.

“Working with the Indiana Center for Nursing has already supported our efforts to provide equitable and impactful educational experiences for our B.S.N. students through initiatives such as our holistic admissions process and mentoring program,” Mann said. “Through this new project and the accompanying HRSA grant funding, we’ll be able to further empower students in balancing diverse personal and educational circumstances through financial and academic resources.”

About Indiana Center for Nursing
The Indiana Center for Nursing (ICN) unites statewide nursing education and practice leaders to affect change, through one voice, to ensure a highly qualified nursing workforce that meets the needs of Indiana’s healthcare consumers. With approximately 75 statewide organizational members, the ICN serves as the voice of nursing for the state of Indiana.

About the IU East School of Nursing and Health Sciences
The IU East School of Nursing and Health Services’ mission is to create a community of learning that addresses society’s need for knowledgeable, competent, and caring nursing, advance practice nursing, and health care professionals while nurturing students, faculty, and staff.

The School of Nursing and Health Sciences at IU East offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing on campus and an R.N. to B.S.N. degree program. A consortium agreement with other IU Schools of Nursing provides an online option for the completion of the R.N. to B.S.N. Mobility Option, and a Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences online degree in collaboration with IU regional campuses and IU Online. The school also offers a Master of Science in Nursing program with three track options: family nurse practitioner, nursing education and nursing administration.