Implicit Bias in Nursing
Week 5 Discussion: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Nursing Leadership
Discussion Overview: Project Implicit is an international collaborative group of researchers interested in implicit social cognition. The Project Implicit website offers an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics. For this week’s discussion, visit the website implicit.harvard.eduLinks to an external site. and choose a topic to investigate your own implicit bias. Click Project Implicit Featured Task to take an available test. There is no need to create a login.
Note: You are not required to share your results, please do so only if you feel comfortable discussing them in a group setting.
Discussion Prompts: After completing the exercise, reflect upon a situation where you became aware of your own implicit bias or developed awareness of someone else’s implicit bias.
- How has your awareness of implicit bias evolved?
- How does this implicit bias impact the delivery of care, and communication within the interdisciplinary team?
- What is one leadership strategy that you could employ to demonstrate cultural humility and positively impact the situation to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion?
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Implicit Bias in Nursing
Growing Awareness of Implicit Bias
My awareness of implicit bias has evolved through training, reflection, and experiences. Initially, I was unaware of how unconscious beliefs shaped my assumptions. Over time, I noticed subtle behaviors in myself and others that suggested implicit preferences. Completing the Implicit Association Test helped me recognize that even well-intentioned healthcare providers may hold biases that affect their actions. This awareness is the first step toward personal growth and improving patient care.
Effects on Patient Care and Team Communication
Implicit bias can significantly impact the delivery of care and communication in interdisciplinary teams. Biases may lead to disparities in treatment, decreased patient satisfaction, and reduced trust. Within teams, miscommunication or exclusion may occur if assumptions are made about others based on race, gender, or role. These challenges hinder collaboration and compromise care quality. Recognizing these dynamics encourages nurses to be more mindful and inclusive in their practice.
Reflecting on a Personal Experience
During clinical rotations, I observed a colleague making assumptions about a patient’s pain tolerance based on ethnicity. While unintentional, this bias affected the patient’s treatment plan. The experience pushed me to examine my own behaviors and biases. I became more intentional about listening, asking questions, and avoiding snap judgments. This moment taught me the value of empathy and cultural humility in nursing practice, which are crucial for equitable care.
Leadership Strategy: Practicing Cultural Humility
A powerful leadership strategy to address implicit bias is practicing cultural humility. This involves lifelong learning, self-reflection, and openness to others’ perspectives. As a nurse leader, I can encourage dialogue, facilitate bias training, and model inclusive behaviors. Creating a safe environment for diverse voices enhances teamwork and equity. Cultural humility allows nurses to recognize bias and implement fair practices, helping to create a more inclusive and respectful workplace culture.
