Innovating Nursing Education for Equity: Simulation, Storytelling, and Culturally Responsive Care

Description

This event explores innovative approaches to nursing education that center equity, cultural responsiveness, and real-world application. Through simulation, storytelling, and creative health communication strategies, presenters will highlight how nursing educators and clinicians can better prepare future and practicing nurses to deliver compassionate, trauma-informed, and patient-centered care. Sessions will emphasize lived experience, culturally grounded practice, and innovative teaching methods that advance health equity across diverse populations.

Featured Speakers & Sessions

Dr. Marissa H. Rafael, DNP, RN, CMSRN, CNEcl

Assistant Professor, California State University, East Bay

Dr. Rafael brings extensive experience in medical-surgical, oncology, and trauma nursing, as well as nursing education across classroom, simulation, and clinical settings. Her work focuses on improving nursing practice through evidence-based education, fostering clinical judgment, and developing mentorship pathways for students, new nurses, and faculty. She is committed to enhancing nursing education quality and supporting workforce development through innovative teaching strategies.

Dr. Elizabeth Clarke, DNP, FNP, MSN, SCRN, RN, FNYAM

Director of Patient Care Services, Mount Sinai West

Dr. Clarke is a transformational healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience advancing quality, equity, and system-level improvement. Her doctoral work introduced a culturally responsive rap song intervention to improve adolescent awareness and prevention of Type 2 diabetes. A Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, she is recognized for her leadership in innovation, health equity, and patient-centered care across complex healthcare systems.

Anna Livson, MSN, RN, PCCN, CEN, PHN

Simulation Educator & Co-Coordinator, California State University, East Bay

Anna Livson is a Simulation Educator with over a decade of acute care experience in emergency and cardiothoracic transplant nursing. She specializes in simulation-based learning and program coordination, bringing real-world clinical expertise into nursing education. Her work focuses on strengthening clinical readiness, critical thinking, and trauma-informed competencies through high-fidelity simulation experiences.