This curated collection distills the most practical, evidence-informed toolkits and guides advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across healthcare. Each entry is annotated for Clinical Nurse Specialists, translating frameworks, language guidance, and action steps into strategies ready for patient care, education, leadership, and scholarship. The committee will review and expand the list regularly, ensuring fresh perspectives and emerging best practices remain at your fingertips. Scan below to begin adapting the resources to your local priorities.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021)
Summary:
It provides a theoretical and evidence-based framework, incorporating key definitions, guiding principles, and actionable strategies. It also includes case studies, reflection prompts, and curricular examples that faculty can adapt to promote inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching. The toolkit aligns with AACN’s commitment to preparing nurses who can address health disparities and care for diverse populations with competence and compassion. It also offers a straightforward guide on utilizing the toolkit, and a facilitating tool is provided for each strategy. It touches on budgeting and best practices in faculty search and hiring. It has an excellent section on types of bias and how they can affect our work. As CNSs, we can use this toolkit to integrate culturally responsive care into future clinical protocols, patient education, and staff training. The case studies can facilitate discussion and workshops aiming to address systemic inequalities.
Strengths:
This toolkit offers evidence-based strategies and practical resources that facilitate easy utilization.
American Psychological Association (2025)
Summary:
Bias-free language guidelines for the written and spoken words outlining best practices for using affirming and inclusive language when writing or speaking about age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic identities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other personal factors such as marital status, immigration status, and religion.
This toolkit offers a comprehensive roadmap for integrating equity and justice into scholarly processes. While journal-focused, it includes deeply relevant frameworks for Clinical Nurse Specialists, including reflexive practice, inclusive communication, and ethical research engagement.
Strengths:
Thorough, evidence-informed exploration of bias and equity preferred terms and language; helpful guidelines for all written and spoken healthcare education development and scholarship.
American Public Health Association (2021)
Summary:
The toolkit is broken up into five sections addressing governance, mission-driven programming, partnerships, communication, and advocacy. The focus is on assessing these five areas and tools to balance equity, diversity, and inclusion in each area.
Strength:
Findings from the use of the assessment tools could provide baseline and ongoing data to measure success. A brief description of each tool is provided.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (2023)
Summary:
The focus of this document is health equity, in which a health equity action plan frameworks provide the foundation for action. In the center of the framework is high-quality, accessible, and timely care, which is culturally understood and respected. Definitions and examples of action associated with the six components of the framework are provided. Additionally, structures, processes, and timelines are articulated. Appendices include information on other frameworks and collaborative health equity plans, actions, and structures.
Strengths:
A clear, visual framework to guide and ground actions with examples to aid future efforts. Easy to follow and use.
Diverse Educators (2021-2023)
Summary:
The website offers practical, evidence-informed resources to support schools and educators in embedding DEI across all aspects of education. Each toolkit focuses on a specific topic—such as race, gender, sexuality, disability, and neurodiversity—and provides guidance, reflective prompts, teaching strategies, and links to further learning. Structured around the themes of identity, belonging, and social justice, the toolkits appear to be focused on teachers, school leaders, and education stakeholders at all levels.
The website provides more than 30 DEI subjects, including approaches to DEI discussion and a toolkit. Each block leads to another DEI subject and toolkit, including reading resources like blogs, articles, podcasts, videos, TED talks, and more.
Strengths:
It consists of various comprehensive theme-based resources that offer practical strategies and prompt reflective practice in various educational roles.
International Building Performance Simulation Association – USA (2024)
Summary:
DEIB resources (mostly free) for all levels, novice to expert. The resources are listed by topic, including websites, podcasts, training courses, and books. Topic categories include General DEIB information, LGBTQAI+, Indigenous persons, disability, environmental justice, implicit bias, inclusive leadership, microaggression, communication/language, cultural competence, allyship, advocacy, business case for DEI, intersectionality, inclusive culture, and measuring progress in DEIB.
A compilation of vetted materials across various DEIB topics, providing valuable tools to enhance culturally informed care, education, and leadership. Its structured and multidisciplinary approach makes it a significant asset for advancing health equity and inclusion within healthcare systems.
Strengths:
Wide variety of resources including websites, podcasts, training course, and books on General DEIB information, LGBTQAI+, Indigenous persons, disability, environmental justice, implicit bias, inclusive leadership, microaggression, communication/language, cultural competence, allyship, advocacy, business case for DEI, intersectionality, inclusive culture, and measuring progress in DEIB.
National League for Nursing (2017)
Summary:
The toolkit has two major sections: 1) administrative leadership and 2) faculty and staff. Both sections provide direction for recruiting and retaining diverse students and an educational workforce that clinical nurse specialists can utilize along with human resources partners. The first section on the administrative leader stresses the importance of the tone or culture of an organization. References and resources provide support for suggested actions or strategies.
Strengths:
Each subsection has a list of questions to trigger thinking and engage in a deeper conversation about the topic. Additionally, authors challenge thinking about pedagogies, or teaching methods, which can be applied to CNS practice as educators.
NACNS DEIB Committee. August, 2025