Prof. Nursing Leadership week 5 peers response
Peer Response Instructions
In your response to your peers reflect on the following:
·. These posts should be thoughtful, respectful, and add value to the discussion. This response could include relating your experience to whatever they initially posted. Use a different scholarly source, reference it using APA format, and include in-text citations when using the referenced material in your post.
1st peer post
Kiersten Barker
Apr 2, 2024 at 3:33 AM
While getting a patient’s vitals, I realized that the patient was visibly anxious and their heart rate along with blood pressure was elevated. I reported it to the overnight physician and I was told to monitor it for the time being. During the next round of vitals, they were back down to normal and I asked the PCT how they were and they reported that they were okay and joking around. I spoke with the daughter in the morning about an update and reported the blood pressure jump. The daughter reported that, no offense to me, the patient doesn’t realize it but she gets anxious with white caregivers. I then realized that the PCT that was doing this patient’s vitals was African American and every time she was in the room the patient’s vitals were normal and the patient was more at ease.
After reading this week’s material, I thought back to this situation and realized that even though she was not aware of it, she had a bias against white healthcare givers. Implicit bias is something that I was unaware of until reading about it. Per the NIH article Implicit Bias, “Implicit bias is the attitude or internalized stereotypes that unconsciously affect our perceptions, actions, and decisions” (Shah and Bohlen para.1, 2023). I did not know that there could be things that individuals could be biased about subconsciously. This can impact the delivery of care by not allowing the patient to get adequate care. For example, in the situation I experienced, this patient could have received medication that she did not need due to her blood pressure being high because I was in the room. This can also affect communication between the interdisciplinary team if some of the doctors and nurses are white they may get different information from the others due to the patient’s bias.
One leadership strategy that I could employ to demonstrate cultural humility in the workplace is active listening. When people discuss with me their personal lives I will try to listen and ask follow-up questions to learn more about them and their culture. To facilitate this among the staff I would try to organize some group outings. This allows the coworkers to discuss with each other about themselves freely not in the workplace. By doing both of these things I am trying to help everyone understand each other’s diversity and make sure everyone feels included. By learning about each other’s differences we can work together as a team to make sure everyone’s views feel respected and treated fairly.
References
Shah, H. S., & Bohlen, J. (2023, March 4).
Implicit bias. StatPearls.
2nd peer response
Taylor Overcash
Apr 2, 2024 at 2:02 PM
NSG 4320 Week 5 Discussion Post
How has your awareness of implicit bias evolved?
As a former oncology nurse transitioning to a vascular access nurse, my awareness of implicit bias has evolved through exposure to diverse patient populations in various levels of care. In oncology, I became accustomed to bias related to cancer diagnosis, treatment options, and patient prognosis. However, as a vascular access nurse, I encounter a broader spectrum of patients with diverse medical conditions and care needs. This shift has led to a heightened awareness of biases related to patient acuity and perceived treatment priorities.
How does this implicit bias impact the delivery of care, and communication within the interdisciplinary team?
Implicit bias affects care delivery and team communication by shaping perceptions and decisions based on factors like race, gender, weight, ethnicity, age, etc. Bias can lead to disparities in treatment and hinder collaboration among team members. With increasing rates of obesity in patient populations, there is a rise in weight bias. “Weight bias in healthcare not only negatively impacts patients and patient care, but it may also consequently impact the health professional students who are immersed in this learning environment” (Oliver et al., 2020). When students are exposed to biases in their clinical environment, it can profoundly affect care delivery.
What is one leadership strategy that you could employ to demonstrate cultural humility and positively impact the situation to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion?
An effective strategy by leadership is to encourage ongoing education and training for themselves and their team. Leaders can seek resources and educational opportunities to deepen their understanding of diversity-related issues, unconscious biases, and cultural competence. In our evolving healthcare setting, many patients come from various backgrounds. When leaders continuously learn and expand their knowledge, they can model a commitment to personal growth and development in these areas. Investing in education and training demonstrates a dedication to creating a more inclusive workplace where diversity is valued.
Reference:
Oliver, T. L., Shenkman, R., Diewald, L. K., & Dowdell, E. B. (2020). Nursing students’ perspectives on observed weight bias in healthcare settings: A qualitative study.
Nursing Forum,
56(1), 58–65.
