How the community health nurse recognize bias, stereotypes and implicit bias within the community
Noticing your assumptions means that you have to know everything from language barriers to job status to regional inflections can cause people to assume a patient has certain traits, behaviors, or beliefs that you might not agree with. Notice that feeling when you are trying to explain treatments to a patient, when responding to their needs, or when dealing with an extended and involved family.
Should also be able to Understand What Assumptions Trigger in. You might find there are certain accents, specific items of clothing, or ways of speaking that cause you to tag someone with undeserved qualities. A patient’s race, accent, clothing style, or appearance can spark an instant judgment in you
Should also be able to Know Why It Matters. An implicit bias is not only harmful because it is undeserved, but it can also lead to disparities in care. Even if you are unaware of how you are feeling, your body language, your focused attention, and your level of care can be impacted directly by the way you are feeling.
Should also be able to Know Your Patient by talking to them. Talking with your patients is a good way to learn more about them. Understanding cultural differences can also help you become aware of any unconscious bias and begin to overcome it.
Should be able to talk About It.You have a bias, but you are not alone. Talking about implicit bias in your work setting opens the conversation, removes the taboo, and paves the way for better patient care and outcomes. When nurses are able to address this topic in an open and nonjudgmental manner, everyone benefits. If you are a nurse manager, holding talks, open sessions, one-on-ones, and seminars gives your staff nurses the tools to confront the issue head on and make significant changes.
How the nurse should address these concepts to ensure health promotion actives are culturally complemented within the community.
- You should have Personal awareness. Acquiring personal awareness requires an internal compass that’s used to guide daily interactions. This compass can help nurses recognize acceptable and unacceptable attitudes and behaviors and stay on the right path when faced with the continual threat of unconscious bias. It forces nurses to constantly look inward and creates an awareness of how they’re perceived by others, laying the foundation for a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship.
- Acknowledging the problem. Without acknowledgment that a problem exists, no action can be taken to solve the problem. With acknowledgment comes the acceptance of accountability and responsibility to make a difference. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must move to suppress unconscious bias by initiating responses to foster positive behaviors, such as empathy.
- Having empathy. Healthcare professionals must be able to empathize with patients and their circumstances to understand what they’re feeling. Nurses can develop empathy by making a conscious effort to understand the patient’s situation, become fully immersed in the patient’s point of view, and get a sense of what it’s like to be walking in the patient’s shoes.
- Advocacy. Support for patients as they navigate a complex healthcare system is called advocacy. Nurses can be patient advocates by assisting with communication with other members of the healthcare team, identifying best treatment options, and ensuring that a patient’s rights aren’t overlooked.
REFERENCES
- Davidic IF, Fiske ST. Under the radar: how unexamined biases in decision-making processes in clinical interactions can contribute to health care disparities. Am J Public Health. 2012; 102(5):945-952. [Context Link]
- Healthy People.gov. Healthy People 2020. Foundation health measures. 2016. http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures. [Context Link]
- Teal CR, Gill AC, Green AR, Crandall S. Helping medical learners recognize and manage unconscious bias toward certain patient groups. Med Educ. 2012; 46(1):80-88. [Context Link]
- Sentry HP, Wren SM. The role of unconscious bias in surgical safety and outcomes. Surge Clan North Am. 2012; 92(1):137-151. [Context Link] have any bias is a first step toward fixing the problem.