Michelle Webb, assistant professor, Brigit Carter, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and their team have received an award for their Duke Faculty Advancement Seed Grant application entitled: “Improving departmental climate and building community at DUSON through increasing Cultural Intelligence." This award is for one year with a start date of Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The project builds upon foundational work done within the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) community as part of its Racial Justice Task Force initiatives. The project will focus on building cultural intelligence (CQ) as a means of effectively navigating the growing cultural diversity within DUSON and promoting inclusivity as a proxy for building a stronger sense of community. CQ is defined as the capability to work effectively across cultural differences. CQ is not a new concept, but a concept that is widely researched with demonstrated effectiveness in navigating any one of the numerous cultural differences that can exist within multicultural and culturally diverse situations. CQ differs from cultural competence and cultural humility in that it draws from intelligence research and emphasizes not only an understanding of different cultures but develops capability for problem-solving and adaptation in numerous cultural settings. The project intervention will be a multi-level/multi-phase experiential education program for faculty, staff, and students aimed at skills acquisition; designed and implemented by certified cultural intelligence facilitators. The expected outcomes include a measurable increase in cultural intelligence, increased workplace satisfaction, practice change, and a stronger sense of community. The project will also lay the groundwork for future collaborations within the broader academic and healthcare community to advance health equity, racial justice, and a sense of community.