Mercy University's School of Nursing was just awarded a $20,000 grant to spearhead a program aimed at eliminating racism in nursing from the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.

"Nursing as a profession we have struggled to prepare, adequately prepare nurse educators to train future nurses to interrupt implicit bias and to address racism," said Kenya Beard, dean of Mercy's School of Nursing.

The National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing did a survey of 5,600 nurses across the country and found that 63% said they have personally experienced racism in the workplace from peers, patients or a manager.

The grant will allow Mercy University to create a program that will focus on training nurse educators who will go back to their respective colleges and create inclusive learning environments and new curriculum, with the goal of addressing and interrupting racism in the workplace and advancing health equity.

"It’s really going to call for us having these courageous conversations in the classroom that speaks to structural racism," said Beard.

Mercy was one of 10 higher education institutions with winning proposals to be selected for part of $200,000 in funding from the American Nurses Association.