- The person giving the report made multiple statements that made me uncomfortable. The first statement made by the nurse giving report that made me uncomfortable was “who even knows where he’s from.” This was a racially biased statement, since the nurse had a difficult time pronouncing the patient’s name. The nurse immediately made a judgement instead of educating themself. The second statement that made me uncomfortable was when the nurse stated the patient was in a “skateboarding” accident. Based on where the patient was injured, the nurse racially profiled the patient and assumed he was not hurt by falling off a skateboard, with no evidence to support her claim. Finally, the third statement that made me uncomfortable was when the nurse giving report said, “he’s one of those, if you know what I mean.” By making this statement, the nurse stereotyped the patient as someone who is a criminal or frequently in trouble with the police. This kind of judgement can inhibit the quality of care a patient receives.
- Each of these statements are important to address so we as nurses ensure that we are giving the same and best level of care to all our patients. When you profile or stereotype a patient, this can bring out a person’s implicit bias which can inhibit care. That is why it’s so important as nurses that we work to be anti-racist. If I didn’t understand these concepts as the nurse receiving report, it could inhibit the care I give to the patient on the next shift. By implying that a patient is a criminal or unsafe, it creates an unsafe, biased environment that can cause harm to the patient, and prevent them from receiving adequate care.
- If I was the nurse receiving report, I would be angry and frustrated to hear the way this nurse was speaking about a patient. I understand that all people have implicit bias, and it’s important to address it. Because of this, I do feel that I could address these comments in the same was the nurse receiving report did. To correct someone’s implicit bias can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially if it is a coworker you work with frequently. Although it may be difficult, this is a necessary step for nurses to take to ensure each patient receives equal treatment.
- Over winter break, I cared for a patient who didn’t speak English and whose culture was different from my own and many of the nurses on the floor. One aspect of this patient’s culture is that the patient always had many family members present, and many of the patient’s family members wanted to care for the patient and provide meals to the patient. This was frustrating to some of the staff on the floor because it was difficult to provide necessary care at times since there were always many family members present. When I cared for this patient, I always tried to keep in mind that the patient wanted his family their taking care of him, and explained to the family why they needed to leave the room if the patient was having a procedure or scan such as an x-ray done. While some of the nurses made comments about how frustrating it was that there were so many family members present limiting our care, others advocated for the patient to have a single room so the family would have more space and privacy to visit with their loved one.
