Competency Discussion
§ Why is it important to identify bias?
§ How might bias impact your decision-making in nursing practice?
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SOLUTION to XA3003: Prioritizing Social Determinants of Health Competency Discussion.
Hello everyone,
It is critical for all nurses even those working in high-stress environments like the Emergency Room (ER) to identify potential biases. This is because unrecognized biases can negatively impact clinical decision-making and compromise patient care. Thus, by becoming aware of implicit biases, nurses can work to overcome them. Identifying bias is important for several reasons and one is because we all have preconceived notions and stereotypes that can influence our judgments, even unconsciously (Marcelin et al., 2019). These implicit biases are difficult to detect but can still shape our perceptions and decisions. Marcelin et al. (2019) state that they are formed by our backgrounds, experiences, and environments. In the emergency setting where nurses face difficult decisions under pressure, implicit biases pose a real threat if unacknowledged.
Several types of biases are relevant for nurses to identify. The first one is an "optimism bias" which could potentially cause life-threatening delays in recognizing patient deterioration (Boloré & Garcia-Loiseau, 2022). Stereotyping certain groups as "noncompliant" or not taking complaints seriously enough can compound health disparities. Additionally, gender biases may cause some nurses to dismiss women's pain reports or overlook symptoms. Without recognition of implicit attitudes, these biases could unconsciously filter how nurses interpret patients' signs and symptoms. For example, a nurse with negative stereotypes might disproportionately view a patient of a certain race or gender as exaggerating their condition and this could delay necessary interventions.
Fortunately, it was established that implicit biases can be mitigated through awareness, exposure to counterstereotypes, and mindfulness as highlighted by Marcelin et al. (2019). Nurses, therefore, need to engage in critical self-reflection, employing tools such as the implicit association test. Further, acknowledging each individual’s worth rather than labeling them as a stereotype proves helpful in overcoming prejudices (Madeira et al., 2022). I believe that with training and awareness, nurses can override their biases to give equal quality care to patients regardless of the color of their skin.
References
Boloré, S., & Garcia-Loiseau, J. (2022). Key Factors and Modeling of Interprofessional Management of Clinical Deterioration in Hospital Units: A Scoping Review. Research & Theory for Nursing Practice, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.1891/RTNP-2021-0093
Madeira, F., Costa-Lopes, R., Do Bú, E. A., & Tato Marinho, R. (2022). The role of stereotypical information on medical judgements for black and white patients. Plos One, 17(6), e0268888. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268888
Marcelin, J. R., Siraj, D. S., Victor, R., Kotadia, S., & Maldonado, Y. A. (2019). The impact of unconscious bias in healthcare: how to recognize and mitigate it. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 220(Supplement_2), S62-S73. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz214