In today’s current healthcare settings, the increasing diversity, globalization, and expanding technologies produce complex ethical pressures that influence nursing practice and practice outcomes. To be effective in a master’s-prepared advanced nurse practice role it is important to understand personal values, beliefs, strengths, and limitations. The purpose of this assessment is to promote introspective reflection related to implicit and/or explicit personal biases. Students will develop a plan to reduce bias and promote personal and professional growth.
Introduction
In today’s ever-changing healthcare environment, nurses are faced with complex ethical pressures that can influence their practice and the outcomes of that practice. Issues such as increasing diversity, globalization, and the rapid expansion of technologies have created a need for nurses to navigate the ethical dilemmas that arise in their daily work. In order to be effective in a master’s-prepared advanced nurse practice role, it is crucial for nurses to have a deep understanding of their personal values, beliefs, strengths, and limitations. This understanding allows nurses to identify and address any personal biases that may impact their practice, and to develop a plan for personal and professional growth.
Promoting Introspective Reflection
The purpose of this assessment is to promote introspective reflection among nursing students, particularly related to implicit and/or explicit personal biases. Introspective reflection involves a deep examination of one’s own thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to identify any unconscious biases that may be influencing their decision-making and interactions with patients.
Implicit biases refer to the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that individuals may hold towards certain groups of people. These biases are formed through a combination of societal influences, personal experiences, and cultural contexts. Implicit biases can lead to unfair treatment or unequal access to resources for certain groups of patients.
On the other hand, explicit biases are conscious attitudes or beliefs that an individual holds towards others based on their group membership. Unlike implicit biases, explicit biases are often intentional and readily apparent in a person’s behavior and language. Explicit biases can have detrimental effects on the nurse-patient relationship and can lead to discrimination and unequal treatment.
Developing a Plan for Bias Reduction
The assessment requires nursing students to develop a plan for reducing bias and promoting personal and professional growth. This plan should be individualized and tailored to the specific biases that the student has identified through introspective reflection.
One of the first steps in developing this plan is to engage in self-reflection and self-awareness. This involves critically examining one’s own values, beliefs, and assumptions, and considering how these may influence their interactions with patients from diverse backgrounds. By becoming aware of their own biases, nurses can begin to challenge these biases and work towards minimizing their impact on patient care.
Another important component of the plan is education and continuous learning. Nursing students should seek out opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding of diversity, cultural competence, and ethical decision-making. This could involve attending workshops or conferences, engaging in self-directed learning, or seeking mentorship from practitioners with expertise in these areas.
Additionally, nursing students should actively seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, and patients to gain a better understanding of how their biases may be perceived by others. This feedback can be invaluable in helping nurses to recognize and address their biases, and to make changes to their practice as needed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the increasing diversity, globalization, and expanding technologies in today’s healthcare settings create complex ethical pressures that can influence nursing practice and outcomes. It is essential for nurses in advanced practice roles to have a deep understanding of their own values, beliefs, strengths, and limitations in order to navigate these pressures effectively. The assessment outlined in this paper promotes introspective reflection, with the goal of identifying and addressing any implicit or explicit biases that may impact nursing practice. By developing a plan for bias reduction, nursing students can work towards personal and professional growth, and provide equitable care for all patients.