Are you a nurse working to promote health equity through teaching, leading, or practicing equity-minded nursing?

Do you know an equity-minded nurse?

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will award five equity-minded nurses with a $1,000 prize each and paid travel to and recognition at its health equity summit in Washington, DC, Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

One award will be presented to a nurse in each category: equity-minded rising star, equity-minded practice, equity-minded research, equity-minded educator, and equity-minded leader.

Apply or nominate for the awards:

Deadline: August 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Award Categories:

The Equity-Minded Rising Star Award recognizes a student or early career individual whose contributions show promise for ongoing impact in reducing health disparities and advancing health equity. Co-sponsored by the National League for Nursing.

The Equity-Minded Practice Award recognizes a nurse whose work with patients, families and/or communities exemplifies efforts to reduce health disparities and advance health equity. These are efforts that have had or have the potential to make impact and be modeled as an example of best or promising practices.

The Equity-Minded Research Award recognizes a nurse researcher whose scholarship advances the science and the body of knowledge that advances health equity. The research or scholarship of this award should be or have the potential to be disseminated widely as best or promising practices.

The Equity-Minded Educator Award recognizes a nurse educator whose efforts demonstrate excellence in diversifying the nursing student body, inclusive teaching/learning practices, and whose teaching and/or curriculum design include topics that lead to the graduation of equity-minded nursing.

The Equity-Minded Leader Award recognizes a catalyst for change at the systems or organization level that address and dismantle policies and structures that contribute to disparities and inequities. He/she/they will contribute to an overall climate of inclusion that encourages the institution to focus on community needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are equity-minded nurse awards?

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has launched a new award program to recognize nurses who model equity-minded thought leadership and are helping lead the way to health equity. There are five categories of awards detailed below, and a winner will be chosen for each. This is part of the Campaign’s work to implement the goals of the Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report that nurses and nursing should lead in achieving health equity.

How do I apply?

Individuals can self-nominate or be nominated by someone else beginning July 17 through Aug. 18. An award application can be found on the Campaign’s website. It includes filling out some basic biographical information and submitting a letter supporting the/your nomination with specific examples of equity-minded work. 

What do winners receive?

A winner in each of the five categories will receive $1,000, plus paid travel to and attendance at the Campaign’s health equity summit in Washington, D.C., where awardees will be recognized before a national audience focused on advancing equity in health care workforce decisions and private-sector policies. The summit, Building Equity in Nursing and Health Care Leadership 2023, is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at AARP National Headquarters. All winners will also become part of the Campaign’s Health Equity Hall of Fame.

What does equity-minded mean?

The Campaign launched an equity-minded nurse initiative in 2022 as part of its work to implement the National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. The goal of that report is to deploy nurses and nursing to advance health equity. The Campaign defines equity-mindedness as so deeply understanding and embracing health equity, social justice, anti-racism, and cultural humility that these concepts emerge as normalized, automatic and default thought processes no matter the setting or the group of people they work with. You can read more about our equity-minded nurse initiative, including videos of nine nurses talking about what it means to be equity-minded and read bloggers offering a range of personal and professional stories about achieving health equity through nursing.

Equity-Minded Nurse Hall of Fame

2023 Awardees

Educator

Kamila A. Alexander

Leader

Vicki
Hines-Martin

Practice

Kelly
Ayala

Research

S. Raquel
Ramos

Rising Star

Kelly
McGlothen-Bell