AMSN Position Statement:

AMSN POSITION STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSIVITY

AMSN is committed to strengthening our diversity, equity, and inclusion, to ensure these are woven deeply into the fabric of our mission, goals, and the experiences we provide for our nurses. Embracing diverse perspectives leads to hearing multiple viewpoints on issues, realizing full potentials, and finding innovative solutions.

• Diversity refers to the many ways people may differ and includes factors such as gender; race; ethnicity; sexual orientation; age; disability status; geographic location; expertise; professional and life experiences; experience with our work; and AMSN membership and CMSRN certification.
  • AMSN believes that diversity of ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds makes us stronger and is critical for the health and welfare of everyone.
•  Equity is the practice of removing the barriers that may inhibit participation or achievement by any group or individual.
  • AMSN promotes fairness through the provision of services dependent on individual needs and abilities.
• Inclusion is consistently and openly inviting and encouraging members and certificants who have historically been underrepresented – including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups –to apply for opportunities and engage with AMSN.
  • AMSN promotes a culture of inclusion that embraces everyone’s differences and involves all voices and perspectives, recognizing that everyone has the right to respect and acceptance without bias.

AMSN recognizes that, in the profession of nursing, there are structural and systemic barriers that exist which limit the voices and opportunities of underserved nurses and undermine the core values of our profession.

AMSN affirms the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion are firmly set in the organization when the bylaws, policies, and practices undergo review at regular intervals by governance and legislative committees as well as the AMSN board of directors.

AMSN commits to providing education and tools for nurses in order to better integrate the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into their own practices.

The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusivity are encompassed within the scope and standards of medical-surgical nursing practice, the competencies of medical-surgical nurses, and AMSN’s strategic plan. AMSN believes that everyone has a right to be respected, accepted, and valued, to be recognized for their expertise and experience, and empowered to call out injustices, bias, and racism within the profession and in healthcare.

AMSN acknowledges that through discourse and with the action of changing policies, practices, and beliefs, those individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented may assert their rights to equality, inclusion, and respect. All members should be empowered to participate fully and contribute their time and talents, thereby enriching the specialty of medical-surgical nursing and supporting patients and communities we serve.

Resolutions

Achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion requires ongoing commitment and full engagement on the part of AMSN’s members, volunteers, board of directors, and staff. AMSN commits to the following action items, which are integral to the success of the AMSN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative:

• Ensure environments in which AMSN activities occur promote dignity and respect for everyone.
• Recognize and value the contributions of members and volunteers, the diversity of their practice, and their personal and professional experiences.
• Remain cognizant of the wins achieved and the work that remains to be done for all members to be heard, with their perspectives and needs serving as a guiding force for AMSN initiatives, policies, educational offerings, and practices.
• Continue to prioritize the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout future strategic planning activities and initiatives.
• Review new and existing policies through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This involves the contemplation of not only the language within the policy, but also the historical, social, cultural, financial, and political contexts surrounding the policy intent and impact.

REFERENCES

• Tamtik, M., & Guenter, M. (2019). Policy analysis of equity, diversity and inclusion strategies in Canadian universities: How far have we come? Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 49(3): 41-56.