OFFICE OF INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (FCN) values inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our mission. Inclusive Excellence positions diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as fundamental to our institutional excellence. Our mission at Villanova and FCN is to create a diverse community of scholars and to support a curriculum that encourages a global perspective and informed respect for the differences among peoples and cultures.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at FCN
The aspirations and select initiatives of the Office of Inclusive Excellence are to:
- Build and sustain an infrastructure that supports Inclusive Excellence where all feel a genuine sense of belonging and a fulfilling growth experience.
- Empower all members of the FCN community to be change agents by promoting equity, social justice, advocacy, and health and well-being for all.
- Recruit and retain exceptional, collaborative and innovative diverse faculty, staff and students.
- Support the well-being and professional development of faculty, staff and students.
- Coordinate strategies/initiatives with the Villanova University Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Office of Inclusive Excellence through the Associate Dean oversees the implementation of equitable hiring practices, working with students, faculty, and staff in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and student body. The Office also offers professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
Additionally, the Office of Inclusive Excellence assists in developing and leveraging community partnerships to expand the provision of services to underserved areas, connect students to diverse populations, and develop pathways for diverse faculty, staff and students. This aligns with the Villanova University goal to facilitate a community-wide understanding and practice of inclusive mindsets and behaviors and an inclusive environment, where all faculty, staff, and students are respected, accepted, and valued.
The Office of Inclusive Excellence is the locus of the College's Healthy Work Environment Initiative (HWEI). The HWEI is dedicated to establishing and maintaining an environment that promotes general health by supporting the adoption of attitudes that contribute to positive well-being and providing information, activities, and services designed to support healthy dialogue and communication at FCN.
The mission of the HWEI is to enhance organizational health by fostering interest and encouraging employees to initiate or expand positive lifestyles, provide diverse activities and programs to meet a wide range of personal wellness needs, and develop a positive culture that is focused on celebrating and improving the quality of life for all employees. Diverse ideas and perspectives around issues are welcomed and appreciated. Current areas of focus are Inclusive Communication, Team building, Connection, Relationships, and Work-Life Balance.
Social Justice and Health Equity in Professional Nursing is a required foundational course offered to all nursing students within their first year. The course reflects current issues and trends of social justice and health inequities in the nursing profession and healthcare system. Students are given experiential educational tools to engage in sustained and meaningful discussion about issues of power and privilege through self-reflection, identity exploration, and inclusive communication.
The Office of Inclusive Excellence is connected to University diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts through membership on various committees such as the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, composed of staff and faculty diversity leaders from each of the colleges and programs that works with students on inclusion initiatives and Aequitas: the President’s Task Force on Race, which was charged with assessing the racial climate on campus, identifying areas for improvement, and creating a plan for developing the cultural competence for all students, staff and faculty who are members of the Villanova community.
The FCN’s Office of Inclusive Excellence is also a member of the University’s Climate Concern Network which provides a comprehensive network of support to identify and monitor any bias incidents.
The Office of Inclusive Excellence creates, supports, hosts or co-sponsors numerous events with on- and off-campus partners in support of the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing's (FCN) mission. Audiences may include faculty, staff, students and the wider community.
Examples include:
- FCN professional development workshops
- Book Discussion - The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis, with author Maria Smilios
- Villanova Nurses of Color Alumni Networking Brunch (annual event) with FCN's Multicultural Student Nurses' Organization (MSNO)
- Black History Month celebration of The Power of Black Nurses Voices (annual series) in collaboration with FCN, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Black Nurses Association (SEPABNA) and MSNO
- Film Sceenings and Discussion - The Language of Care, a brief documentary film highlighting the work of a nurse who succcessfully co-designed and implemented care with the Deaf community, and The Black Angels: A Nurse's Story about African American nurses who risked their lives to care for patients with tuberculosis when there was no cure.
About the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence
The Office of Inclusive Excellence is led by its Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence who reports to the Dean of the College and is part of the College's leadership team.
Patricia K. Bradley, PhD, RN, FADLN, FAAN is Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Associate Professor, and is the inaugural leader of the College's Office of Inclusive Excellence. A long time member of the Nursing faculty, Dr. Bradley is a leading expert in psychiatric mental health nursing, psychosocial oncology, and cultural competence in health and illness. Her work focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; fostering cultural humility in students and health care providers; and eliminating health inequities.
Dr. Bradley has been the recipient of numerous awards acknowledging her work from the local and national American Cancer Society, Linda Creed Breast Cancer Organization’s Ominsky Humanitarian Award, Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Inaugural Founders Award, Sigma Theta Tau Mentorship Award, induction as an honorary member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., and as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. In 2023, she was recognized by her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, when she received the Inaugural Penn Nursing Social Justice and Health Equity Alumni Award. A lifetime member of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Dr. Bradley was inducted in 2024 as an Inaugural Luminary Fellow in NBNA’s Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing.
At Villanova, Dr. Bradley serves as faculty co-advisor for the Multicultural Student Nurses Organization (MSNO), a service organization developed by students and dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment for historically underrepresented nursing students. Dr. Bradley is also chair of FCN’s steering committee for Healthy Work Environment Initiatives working with faculty and staff to promote positive well-being.