USU Nursing Professor Presents at United Nations Commission on Gender Equality

Dr. Laura A. Taylor, director of the GSN Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Program at USU was an invited speaker for the prestigious United Nations 68th Annual Commission on the Status of Women. 

Dr. Laura Taylor (pictured center) was invited to join a panel entitled "Accelerating Efforts Towards Gender

Equality to Achieve Universal Health Coverage" as the North American representative in transplant care. (Photo

courtesy of Dr. Laura Taylor, USU)

April 25, 2024 by Ian Neligh

A Uniformed Services University (USU) Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) professor was an invited speaker for the prestigious United Nations 68th Annual Commission on the Status of Women, held March 18. 

Dr. Laura A. Taylor, director of the GSN Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist program, joined a team of organ transplant and eye health nurse scientists to provide the session “Accelerating Efforts Towards Gender Equality to Achieve Universal Health Coverage.”

The UN’s largest assembly on gender equality and women’s empowerment takes place annually in New York City. Each year, nearly 5,000 women from around the world attend the event. 

This year, Taylor’s presentation highlighted the global call for programs and policies geared toward minimizing gender and sex inequities in organ transplantation and eye health worldwide. 

Taylor said it was both an honor and privilege to represent USU and the GSN.

“Participating in the Commission on the Status of Women… regarding access and equity in eye health and transplant care is crucial for addressing the disparities in organ transplantation that have persisted for decades, including North America,” Taylor says. “The congress provides a platform to discuss and advocate for strategies to mitigate these disparities and promote equitable access to eye health transplantation for all genders.”

Taylor began her abdominal organ transplant career at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in 1994. Her Ph.D. and post-doctoral work explored shared decision-making and outcomes research in kidney donation. A National Institutes of Health-funded nurse researcher and president of the International Transplant Nursing Society 2018-2020, Taylor was invited to join the distinguished panel as the North American representative in transplant care.   

Dr. Laura A. Taylor was an invited speaker at the United Nations 68th Annual Commission on the Status of

Women Conference. Nearly 5000 women from around the world attend this event annually, making it the UN's

largest assembly on gender equality and women's empowerment. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Laura Taylor, USU)

Other panel members of the panel represented Kazakhstan, Asia, Australia, and regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Rwanda and Nigeria.  These clinicians, researchers, physicians, and academicians focused on their efforts to reshape the healthcare landscape, advocating for inclusivity and equity.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, session participants spearheaded initiatives to foster female representation and leadership in healthcare. 

In advocating for increased funding for career development programs and leading innovative research and education, Taylor and her colleagues are paving the way for women to excel in traditionally male-dominated arenas, breaking barriers and challenging societal norms.

“(The congress) offers an opportunity to advocate for these measures, raise awareness about gender disparities in transplantation, and mobilize stakeholders towards creating a more equitable and inclusive healthcare system for all individuals in need of organ transplantation,” Taylor says.