Courtney Gordon ’24

Major: Nursing; Minor: Music 
Project: “An Analysis of the Importance of Providing Culturally Inclusive Care in the Nursing Profession” 
Advisor: Belinda Waller-Peterson, associate professor of English and associate dean for equity and inclusion

Courtney Gordon ’24 knew she wanted to research strategies to advance the nursing profession. She felt compelled to discover ways nurses can be quipped to provide equitable, culturally inclusive care to the growing diverse patient population.

With this goal in mind, Gordon reached out to Dr. Belinda Waller-Peterson, who has a background in both nursing and English and was able to assist Gordon in fine-tuning her research.

Gordon learned to research specific nursing articles, journals, and policies, and developed the ability to work autonomously throughout the process, while still knowing Dr. Waller-Peterson was there to guide her if necessary.

Throughout her research, Gordon learned there is a gap in culturally inclusive care and how it is provided to patients. However, she hopes by uncovering this she can further her research and apply helpful strategies to utilize throughout the different fields of nursing.

“I believe that nurses should be equipped in order to provide quality, equitable care to improve patient outcomes,” she says.

Gordon plans to present her research to students and faculty in the College of Health on campus and in a Friday Forum sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.