If you’re the type of person who loves a good listicle, we have something that may interest you. As a medical resident and a doctor-in-training, every day is filled with stress, learning opportunities, and late nights. What’s more, there are plenty of things to learn about implicit bias in health care training that can’t be taught in medical school or residency programs. These tips will help you get started on learning about implicit bias in the healthcare system and how to avoid unconscious discrimination.
Disregard the Medical Jargon
The language used in health care training can be a barrier to communication. When you use medical jargon, it can make your trainees feel like they are not good enough, not worthy, and not smart enough.
The way you talk with your trainee’s matters because it is an indicator of how they will feel about themselves as they learn this new role. If you use words that put the student down or make them feel inferior in any way then your efforts will backfire!
Plan and Prepare Your Training.
- Plan and prepare Implicit bias in healthcare training Michigan.
- Use a training plan.
- Use a training checklist for each session of the workshop, which will help you remember to cover all the topics you need to cover and make sure that no one slips through the cracks.
Take Responsibility For What You Can Control.
You can do a lot to combat implicit bias in health care training for diversity in the workplace:
- Take responsibility for your actions. Don’t blame the system, or the patient’s culture, gender, or race. This is not helpful/useful to you or anyone else.
- Be aware of how you’re feeling and what assumptions you’re making about patients. When there’s an unconscious bias at work, it might be hard to recognize on your own—but if someone points out what’s happening (and they should), try being receptive rather than defensive or angry. Being open-minded will help everyone involved feel safe and respected during their interactions with each other in this space.
Show Compassion For Your Patients.
In order to provide compassionate care, you need to be able to see patients as people with lives outside of their health conditions.
They are not just a diagnosis, they’re not objects that come into your office every so often for treatment, and they are certainly not burdens or problems for you. Instead, think about them as fellow human beings who have something going on inside their bodies that affects how they live their everyday lives—and how their loved ones live theirs too!
You want to be there for your patients in this way because it will help you truly connect with them and understand what they might be going through in the day-to-day. You’ll also be able to empathize with how difficult it can be living with any type of chronic condition (whether mental or physical).
Embrace Coaching From A Seasoned Clinician.
As a student, you have an opportunity to learn from a lot of different people. You can learn from your peers, family members, friends, and colleagues. There is no shortage of people who can help you develop as a clinician.
In fact, the best way to learn implicit bias in health care is to embrace coaching and leadership tests from a seasoned clinician. This person should be someone who has been working in their field for some time and has seen many patients with similar issues or conditions as yours. He/she will be able to attend cultural competency trainings and share their experiences with clinical decision-making so that you can use them as reference points when making decisions on your own patients’ care plans
It’s important though that students do not forget that they will also benefit greatly from learning about implicit bias from other healthcare providers such as nurses or physician assistants (PAs). These clinicians may not have seen the same number of patients with certain conditions but what they lack in experience they make up for by sharing their point-of-view based on personal experience outside the hospital setting
Delete The Negative Stereotypes You Have About Health Care Workers.
- Delete the negative stereotypes you have about health care workers.
- Don’t assume that your coworkers are biased, or that they don’t care about the same issues you care about.
- Don’t assume people aren’t working to change their biases.
See the Patient As An Individual.
You can begin to see the patient as an individual by understanding their perspective. This can be done by exploring any of the following:
- The patient’s background and history
- The patient’s values and culture
- The patient’s beliefs
Avoid Subtle Shaming When You Give Feedback To Trainees.
The way you deliver feedback is just as important as what you say. Avoid using words like “should” and “could,” which can be perceived as shaming or blaming (there are times when these words are appropriate, but they should be used sparingly). Instead, use words like “we,” “our,” and “us.”
Final Words
The best way to go cultural intelligence center to learn new skills is to start by practicing them on your own. If you’re trying to figure out how to use a particular technique, it can help if you have someone show you the ropes first. Once you’ve gained some experience in this area, then try applying these techniques to others in similar situations.