XA3003 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.
Hello class,
- Why is it important to identify bias?
As a student and also a nurse, it is important to identify bias because recognizing our own unconscious biases is crucial to providing equitable and compassionate care for all patients. Morrison et al. (2022) argue that we all have inherent biases formed by our unique life experiences that can negatively impact our clinical judgments if left unchecked. As such, we need to develop self-awareness around bias, so that we can work to set them aside and focus objectively on each individual patient's needs rather than preconceived notions. Nonetheless, I believe that identifying bias is a lifelong process that starts with open self-reflection.
- How might bias impact your decision-making in nursing practice?
If left unexamined, biases have potential to affect clinical decision making and compromise the quality of care provided. Stereotypical assumptions about a patient based on attributes such as gender, race, age or socioeconomic status may cause a nurse to miss important assessment findings, make incorrect care plan prioritizations, or negatively influence the patient-provider relationship through poorer communication styles or lack of empathy (Gopal et al., 2021). Biases can also impact treatment decisions if a nurse subconsciously doubts a patient's reports due to biased perceptions. Maintaining awareness of such inherent biases enables a nurse to adjust clinical judgments and focus on thorough consideration of objective data for each unique health situation. With work, biases' effects on decision making can be minimized to maximize benefit and safety for all in a ethically-consistent nursing practice.
References
Gopal, D. P., Chetty, U., O'Donnell, P., Gajria, C., & Blackadder-Weinstein, J. (2021). Implicit bias in healthcare: clinical practice, research and decision making.
Future Healthcare Journal,
8(1), 40-48. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2020-0233
Morrison, Z., Perez, N., Ahmad, H., Utria, A., McCulloh, C., Lopez, M., ... & Inclusion Committee. (2022). Bias and discrimination in surgery: Where are we and what can we do about it?.
Journal of Pediatric Surgery,
57(7), 1315-1320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.02.012
