The Lived Experiences of Nursing Students in Nursing Education with Implicit Racial Bias

Seth Hawkins Huisenga, Loyola University Chicago

Abstract

Implicit racial bias negatively affects health care provided to patients of color and often leads to poor physical and psychological problems. Nurses that provide unbiased care create a more healing environment for their patients. This research will investigate the implicit racial biases of nurses throughout their education and how nursing students have experienced encounters with implicit bias. The objective of this study is to allow nursing students to become more aware of implicit biases, specifically implicit racial bias. There is limited research about teaching nursing students about implicit bias, but there are some accounts of medical students. The lack of research about implicit bias within nursing education supports the implicit racial biases that nurses carry with them and their patients.

This research will use a qualitative study and a phenomenological method to interpret nursing students’ perception of implicit bias. After confirmation from the IRB, nursing students will be recruited to participate in the study. Eight to ten nursing students will provide their background and consent to a 30-60 minute interview, where qualitative data is obtained. Manual coding will be used for the interviewing transcriptions through descriptive, in vivo, and affective coding performed twice. In addition, Benner’s method will also be used to analyze the qualitative data.

 

The Lived Experiences of Nursing Students in Nursing Education with Implicit Racial Bias

Implicit racial bias negatively affects health care provided to patients of color and often leads to poor physical and psychological problems. Nurses that provide unbiased care create a more healing environment for their patients. This research will investigate the implicit racial biases of nurses throughout their education and how nursing students have experienced encounters with implicit bias. The objective of this study is to allow nursing students to become more aware of implicit biases, specifically implicit racial bias. There is limited research about teaching nursing students about implicit bias, but there are some accounts of medical students. The lack of research about implicit bias within nursing education supports the implicit racial biases that nurses carry with them and their patients.

This research will use a qualitative study and a phenomenological method to interpret nursing students’ perception of implicit bias. After confirmation from the IRB, nursing students will be recruited to participate in the study. Eight to ten nursing students will provide their background and consent to a 30-60 minute interview, where qualitative data is obtained. Manual coding will be used for the interviewing transcriptions through descriptive, in vivo, and affective coding performed twice. In addition, Benner’s method will also be used to analyze the qualitative data.