Media contact: Hannah Echols
For the fourth year in a row, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing has been named a Best School for Men in Nursing by the American Association for Men in Nursing. The award recognizes schools with a continued commitment to creating an inclusive environment for men becoming professional nurses.
“The significance of these awards goes far beyond status or acknowledgement,” said Somali Nguyen, DNP, UAB instructor and AAMN Birmingham Chapter president. “It not only demonstrates but confirms the passion that the UAB School of Nursing has in providing a safe space for men and those in diverse populations to be able to attain their degree at an institution that wholeheartedly supports them.”
A review of the school and its work toward inclusivity highlighted educational efforts, partnerships and the higher proportion of male faculty compared to the national average. The school’s faculty is 17.5 percent male, while the National League for Nursing found that, nationally, only 8.4 percent of nursing faculty is male.
As part of its efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, the school worked with community partners to reestablish the Birmingham Chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing. This group continues to bring together faculty, staff, students and working nurses to discuss important topics, promote mentorship and more.
“If we can set our differences aside and work together with the common purpose of equality while continuing to have the support of our national organization, the UAB School of Nursing and our partners, we will continue to move forward,” Nguyen said. “We can continue breaking through physical and perceptual barriers that hold men and other diverse groups back from pursuing careers in nursing, opening opportunities to provide our patients with the high-quality health care experience that they deserve.”