Perspectives and corrective processes: Evaluating social justice in a nursing PhD program

Efforts to integrate tenets of social justice into PhD nursing programs are long-standing but have intensified in the past few years in response to civil unrest, threats to human rights, and health inequities exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we present an overview of our School of Nursing's efforts and processes to evaluate and ensure that social justice principles were reflected throughout the PhD program. Components of this initiative included (a) forming a Social Justice Taskforce, (b) conducting listening ses-sions with alumni and currently enrolled PhD students to understand student experiences, (c) surveying PhD students to aid in prioritization of recommendations for improvement, and (d) convening key stake-holders to connect student priority areas to institutional programs and practices. Lessons learned through these activities highlighted the importance of gaining the perspective of diverse constituents and stake-holders, acknowledging areas for improvement, engaging students in transformative action, and partnering with faculty, staff, and leaders in solution development as we work to eliminate systemic injustices in PhD nursing education.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Efforts to incorporate social justice principles into PhD nursing programs have been ongoing for many years, but have become more prominent in recent years due to civil unrest, threats to human rights, and health disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper provides an overview of the School of Nursing's initiatives and processes to ensure that social justice principles are integrated into the PhD program. These initiatives include the formation of a Social Justice Taskforce, conducting listening sessions with alumni and current PhD students, surveying PhD students for recommendations, and engaging key stakeholders to align student priorities with institutional programs and practices. Lessons learned emphasize the importance of diverse perspectives, acknowledging areas for improvement, involving students in transformative action, and collaborating with faculty, staff, and leaders to address systemic injustices in PhD nursing education.