U-M School of Nursing launches third annual We Dare Challenge to support student projects through collective giving
From Saturday, Oct. 1, through Monday, Oct. 31, the University of Michigan School of Nursing is issuing its third annual We Dare Challenge, to raise support for and bring attention to four dynamic projects led by U-M School of Nursing students. The four projects that will be featured as part of the We Dare Challenge highlight the breadth of work students engage in at the School of Nursing, addressing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, healthcare innovation, student nursing mental health, and the use of virtual reality in nursing education.
We Dare Challenge donors receive an exclusive invitation to a special virtual event, when students will pitch each project and make their case for funding in a livestream broadcast. At the end of the event, donors vote on which project they want to support with the collective funds raised in October. This is a fun and innovative way to support the diverse projects of our nursing students.
2022 We Dare Challenge projects:
Healthcare innovation
Healthcare challenges are increasingly complex, requiring innovative products, processes, and systems to meet the needs of patients, families, and communities. One of the most important ways to ensure effective solutions is to foster a culture of innovation among nurses. As nurses, we spend countless hands-on hours with our patients. This gives us the unique opportunity to directly observe aspects of patient care that can be improved. Our project, Paving Innovation Pathways, will support the U-M School of Nursing Student Innovation Ambassadors in creating an innovation series that will help to educate nurses and nursing students about the increasing importance of innovation in healthcare delivery, policy, and patient care. In partnership with the Student Nurses Association, this project will support the Dinner & Dialogues events, providing learning opportunities with leading nurse innovators, interspersed with educational materials via pre-recorded videos, podcasts, and e-learning modules to help promote a culture of innovation at the School of Nursing.
Building gender diversity in nursing
Men in Nursing (MiN) is competing in the We Dare Challenge to support a new initiative to build gender diversity in the University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN). Out of the 211 undergraduate students that matriculated at UMSN this past academic year, there are currently only 23 students that identify as male - or about 11 percent. Gender diversity is something that the U-M School of Nursing and nursing programs, in general, have identified as a priority that needs to be strengthened for the future of the nursing profession. Many social and structural barriers impede men from entering the undergraduate program at the School of Nursing and similar programs across the country. On a societal level, adolescents and young adults who are male often do not consider a career in nursing because of perceived stigma and outdated gender norms. On a structural level, schools of nursing often rely on recruitment programs to recruit at middle schools and high schools which haven’t prioritized gender diversity. MiN hopes that the new initiative will present nursing to youth as a career they might wish to adopt regardless of gender. Through the We Dare Challenge, MiN hopes to raise funds to produce a professional video presentation that will showcase UMSN undergraduate students who are men and share their perspectives and experiences with anyone who wants to know more about nursing.
Student nursing mental health
Nurses care for and support patients at all stages of health and illness. Self-care practices help nurses support and maintain their own mental health and wellness, yet, nurses often don’t take time to establish these practices. Self-care routines established during nursing school can support nurses as they progress into their future professional roles. This project proposes the development of new self-care resources designed specifically for U-M School of Nursing students. These self-care resources will be targeted to support students in all programs and levels at the School of Nursing.
Virtual reality in nursing education
Students will be working with The Office of Academic Innovation to create a Massive Open Online Course, also known as a MOOC, for low resource countries and war-torn Ukraine to improve their ability to respond to emergencies. This will be the first MOOC developed at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and hosted by Coursera on their global learning platform. This group has partnered with Coursera to develop the first-ever mixed reality MOOC to provide training for trauma care, respiratory emergencies, casting and splinting, wound and burn care, IVF administration, and sepsis treatment. This content will be free to nurses and new healthcare providers worldwide. The money raised will allow students to travel to low resource areas to help inform us on educational needs for this MOOC to truly improve patient outcomes and save patient lives.
