Implementation of Cultural Awareness and Cognitive Bias Training Within Graduate Nursing Programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Disparities
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Cognitive bias in healthcare leads to medical errors and disparities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.
• Existing faculty training on bias has increased, but student training remains insufficient.
• Addressing bias is crucial for equitable patient outcomes and reducing healthcare inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a targeted curriculum for nurse practitioner (NP) students focused on cognitive bias.
• To equip future NPs with the tools to recognize and mitigate racial, gender, and microaggression biases.
• To create a safe and effective learning environment for students to explore sensitive topics.

Main Methods:

• A three-part curricular series was designed for NP students.
• The curriculum incorporated case studies (vignettes) and facilitated discussions.
• Training focused on racial bias, microaggression, and gender bias.

Main Results:

• The series was piloted with 70 NP students across four specialties.
• Students reported the content as highly valuable and challenging.
• Participants described the learning environment as a safe space for vulnerability and empathy development.

Conclusions:

• The three-part bias training series is now a required component in eight NP majors.
• The curriculum has been successfully integrated into the NP on-campus intensive experience.
• This initiative aims to improve healthcare equity by training future NPs to address cognitive bias.