Examples Of Biases Influence Nursing Practice
Addressing Bias
Brittney L. Helton
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR500: Foundational Concepts and Applications
January 2018
Addressing Bias
Equality is an important issue to ensure proper care is provided to each individual patient to promote quality outcomes. There have been studies performed that have identified health disparities that are unfair and unnecessary (Hall, Chapman, Lee, Merino, Thomas, Payne, Eng, Day, Coyne-Beasley, 2015). It has been noted that patients treated unfairly result in lower quality of health care. By being biased, studies have shown that nurses do not spend quality time with the patient and do not provide compassionate care (Hall et al. 2015). Not only is it unethical to treat an individual differently and with neglect, it is against all ethical principles learned in nursing practice. This paper addresses how biases influence and affect patient outcomes, identifies a personal bias, and demonstrates a strategy to reduce a personal bias.
How Biases Influence Nursing Practice …show more content…
The nurse practitioner sees a variety of patients in a clinical setting. The variety of patients seen and cared for are from different cultural backgrounds, have different sexual orientations, and range from the pediatric population to the geriatric population. Therefore, it is important to apply ethical principals and provide care equally among all patients. In accordance with The Joint Commission, (2016), when nurses’ behaviors and decisions are based on implicit biases, it has been identified that patients are less likely to adhere to their treatments, delay seeking help, and have poorer health outcomes. As a health care professional, one must communicate effectively and understand the patient’s background, socioeconomic factors, and
Brittney L. Helton
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR500: Foundational Concepts and Applications
January 2018
Addressing Bias
Equality is an important issue to ensure proper care is provided to each individual patient to promote quality outcomes. There have been studies performed that have identified health disparities that are unfair and unnecessary (Hall, Chapman, Lee, Merino, Thomas, Payne, Eng, Day, Coyne-Beasley, 2015). It has been noted that patients treated unfairly result in lower quality of health care. By being biased, studies have shown that nurses do not spend quality time with the patient and do not provide compassionate care (Hall et al. 2015). Not only is it unethical to treat an individual differently and with neglect, it is against all ethical principles learned in nursing practice. This paper addresses how biases influence and affect patient outcomes, identifies a personal bias, and demonstrates a strategy to reduce a personal bias.
How Biases Influence Nursing Practice …show more content…
The nurse practitioner sees a variety of patients in a clinical setting. The variety of patients seen and cared for are from different cultural backgrounds, have different sexual orientations, and range from the pediatric population to the geriatric population. Therefore, it is important to apply ethical principals and provide care equally among all patients. In accordance with The Joint Commission, (2016), when nurses’ behaviors and decisions are based on implicit biases, it has been identified that patients are less likely to adhere to their treatments, delay seeking help, and have poorer health outcomes. As a health care professional, one must communicate effectively and understand the patient’s background, socioeconomic factors, and