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When Dr. Tamara Bland received her nursing degree, it was the realization of a dream that began two generations earlier.

Growing up in Jim Crow-era Georgia, Bland’s grandmother hoped to become a nurse, but stark realities of the time limited her opportunities.

“The barriers that came with being a young Black woman in the South and the lack of open positions and schools of nursing accepting Black students made becoming a nurse a challenge for her,” Bland said of her grandmother, who found work as a certified nursing assistant instead. “Having had those conversations about the challenges she faced and the stories she told always resonated with me. They planted the seed and propelled me toward working for inclusiveness for all, especially in healthcare.”

For her focus on diversity and equity within nursing higher education, Bland, dean of ��������’s Borra College of Health Sciences and associate professor of nursing, was awarded the 2022 Nurse Influencer Award from the American Nurses Association of Illinois. She also authored the university’s application for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2022 Lectureship Award for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability in Nursing Education, which Dominican received.

“Dr. Bland is a fantastic leader who uses her influence as a nurse to change higher education and decrease health disparities,” said Susan Y. Swart, executive director of ANA-Illinois.

Admitting a reluctance to stand in the spotlight, Bland is humble about the recognition.

“The work I do, I do for the love of my community and for the profession of nursing. I never thought it would be something I expected to be honored for,” she says, crediting colleagues across the university whose work has made these awards possible.

Some of the nursing program’s justice, equity and inclusion-focused efforts under Bland’s leadership have included targeted recruitment of African American nursing students through direct high school visits; a curriculum review to ensure patients and scholars of color are represented in materials and instruction; providing students with community-based learning experiences and allowing them to choose their preferred facility and focus area; and raising awareness of healthcare disparities within Black and brown communities through expert and first-hand accounts.

The latter was done in partnership with other university departments during symposiums held in 2021 and 2022.

“I am proud to say I was part of that because it brought awareness to not only the Dominican community, but to the external stakeholders who were a part of those discussions,” Bland said.

Increased African American representation within healthcare is vital for addressing these disparities, which range from a lack of medical facilities within predominantly Black communities to quality of care, Bland says.

“Diversifying the healthcare workforce provides an opportunity for Black children, men and women to see themselves in the profession and stop the destruction that is created by systemic biases and racial inequities that persist throughout healthcare,” she said.

Bland believes effective nursing education must be collaborative with other disciplines.

"None of the work can get done if we’re not doing it together,” she said. “I don’t think we give enough credit to those who walk the journey in collaboration with us and then let our hand go when we are ready to walk alone.”