Adtalem Global Education Inc. issued the following announcement on Dec. 15
Chamberlain University Associate Provost Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, has been appointed chairperson of the New York State Board for Nursing.
Beard has dedicated her 35-year career to the nursing profession and education with an emphasis on advancing health equity and education at the national level. At Chamberlain, which is the leading grantor of BSN degrees to underrepresented minority students in the United States, Beard’s focus is on social mission and academic excellence on behalf of the largest school of nursing in the country.
“We congratulate Kenya for this remarkable honor, and for her ongoing commitment to service, leadership and education in the nursing profession,” said Chamberlain University President Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FACHE, FAAN. “Her life-long dedication to increasing diversity in nursing and improving health equity aligns with Chamberlain’s mission to expand access to a high-quality education and enhance student outcomes.”
Beard served on the New York State Board for Nursing eight years prior to assuming the title of chairperson. In her new capacity, she will guide a board of 17 esteemed leaders in the healthcare sector. The Board provides guidance to the New York State Board of Regents and the State Education Department to advance the nursing profession by establishing standards in nursing practice and education.
“Creating a more diverse and inclusive nursing pipeline is a public health priority,” said Beard. “In my position at Chamberlain, and in my new role with the New York State Board for Nursing, I am committed to engaging healthcare and education partners to ensure that the nursing workforce more clearly represents the communities and the patients we serve.”
Beard’s work addresses issues of improving healthcare outcomes and diversity in the nursing profession, including two published pieces in the Journal of Professional Nursing: In 2019, she co-authored the study “Meaningful inclusion of diverse voices: The case for culturally responsive teaching in nursing education.” In 2022 she co-authored the study, “Looking backwards to move forward: Using a social mission lens in nursing education.”
The appointment is the latest recognition of Beard’s dedicated efforts to improving healthcare outcomes and increasing diversity in the nursing profession, and it aligns with Chamberlain’s own efforts. Chamberlain, an Adtalem Global Education institution, has developed a research-based framework – Social Determinants of Learning ™ – to inform and advance nationwide efforts to create a more diverse pipeline of students entering the nursing profession. This commitment to education and health equity is also incorporated within personalized learning approaches offered through the Chamberlain Care Student Success Model. The need for greater diversity in the nursing profession is outlined in the Future of Nursing 2020-30: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report from the National Academy of Medicine.
Beard represents the National League for Nursing as a commissioner for the American Nurses Association’s National Commission to Address Racism and is chair of the American Academy of Nursing’s Diversity and Inclusivity Committee. She is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing, and the Academy of Nursing Education. She previously served as an advisor to the New York Academy of Medicine’s Health Equity Scholars Network and has co-authored a perspective for the National Academy of Medicine, which was recently accepted. In addition to her new role as chairperson with the New York State Board for Nursing, she is also on the editorial board for the American Journal of Nursing.
Original source can be found here.
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