Fast Facts about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nursing

Sandra Davis, PhD, DPM, ACNP-BC, FAANP, is Deputy Director for the National League for Nursing/Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Social Determinants of Health and Social Change. Prior to joining the NLN, Dr. Davis was Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), at the George Washington University School of Nursing. With over 35 years in faculty, administrative, educator, clinical practice, and leadership roles, her scholarly interests include health inequities, social and structural determinants of health, structural competency, and antiracism. Internationally, she held DEI discussions at Riverside College in Bacolod, Philippines. Nationally she contributed to the NLN Vision Series titled “A Vision for Integration of the Social Determinants of Health into Nursing Education Curricula” and sits on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. Dr. Davis was Principal Investigator on a Photovoice Project, “The Social Determinants of a Heart Healthy Community,” which was exhibited at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She recently co-published an article in Academic Medicine with Dr. Anne-Marie O’Brien entitled “Let’s Talk about Racism: Building Structural Competency in Nursing.”

Dr. Davis is a board-certified ACNP and Past President of the NP Association of Washington, DC. She is an AACN/Wharton Executive Leadership Fellow, a Leadership for Academic Nursing Fellow, a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and an inductee in the Temple University Distinguished Alumni Gallery of Success.

Dr. Davis received a BA from Wellesley College, a BSN from Temple University, an MSN and ACNP certification from the University of Pennsylvania, a DPM from Temple University, and a PhD from Drexel University in Educational Leadership.

Anne-Marie O’Brien, PhD, MA, WHNP-BC, is a nursing professor in the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions at Gwynedd Mercy University, Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, and a Research Fellow at the Center for Public Policy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was previously a nurse scientist at Inova Health System and a Clinical Assistant Professor at The George Washington University School of Nursing where she also served as the Director of ABSN Clinical Education. Dr. O’Brien earned her BA in French, her BSN, and MSN from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her MA in French from UCLA. Dr. O’Brien practiced as a women’s health nurse practitioner for 9 years in private practice in the field of reproductive endocrinology before going on to earn her PhD in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation with a focus on gerontology from Arizona State University.

Over the last 30 years, she has worked for and with community organizations, academic institutions, and health systems in the belief that we can more effectively address racial and health inequities when we bring together our unique life experiences and expertise. Her clinical practice, research, and teaching have all centered on the social and ecological factors that influence a person’s engagement in health promotion and shared decision-making. Dr. O’Brien is also an advocate for social justice and its impact on health disparities, and believes nurses play a crucial role in partnering with communities to make positive change. Dr. O’Brien’s research has appeared in The Western Journal of Nursing Research, Nursing Research, Medical Research Archives, and Academic Medicine. Her program of research continues to critically examine institutional and societal power structures and to identify strategies for promoting health equity and social justice.