We often hear popular buzzwords like bias, equity, and empathy, but what do these words mean in the healthcare setting? How do we strive towards health equity where everyone has the ability to attain their full health potential and access to care regardless of social, racial, or economic backgrounds? This is the basic premise of Sigma’s Virtual Mini Academy: Health Equity Training that I recently participated in. We don’t often get an opportunity to step back from our daily lives and really think about the types of implicit biases that each of us holds and how they affect the care that we provide for our patients. This program allowed us time to reflect on our personal biases and delve into how we obtained them in the first place. The concept that you cannot fix something that you don’t realize is broken is at the heart of how we can affect change going forward.
The virtual mini academy was broken down into eight lessons and two Zoom meetings to discuss what we learned and ways to apply this knowledge going forward. The first week we learned all about bias—how it happens, societal systems, and awareness. Some examples could include race, religion, sex, age, weight, sexual orientation, or gender identification. Guided worksheets helped us identify personal biases that really made us think about our own personal values and beliefs. After learning about our own biases, we expanded on what we can each individually do to reshape and learn. The most meaningful experiences I received during the academy were the live virtual meetings. It was a wonderful way to share and discuss what we discovered about ourselves and our biases in a safe and welcoming atmosphere. Truthful discussions about biases can sometimes lead to discomfort and embarrassment but putting forth the effort to learn and grow is how we keep moving forward personally and as a society.
One lesson was devoted to the value of belonging, and I think this topic deserves a lot of thought. We have all been in situations where we felt we just didn’t fit in. Do we remember how that made us feel? Do we realize how this could make those around us feel? How can we foster relationships so that no one has to feel this way? We learned that a sense of belonging in the workplace is financially beneficial for companies, too. Employees who feel as though they don’t belong have a 50% job turnover rate. On the other hand, a feeling of increased belonging led to 75% fewer sick days and a 56% increase in job performance. When we feel like we belong in our workplace or society, our sense of well-being and ability to contribute to society is enhanced.
From there, we discussed equity. We elaborated on equity, equality, and justice and how these ideas impact patient care. Equality is when every patient we encounter gets the same exact care plan, regardless of what they really need. Equity goes further and tailors care for each patient—taking into consideration their background, views, and other standpoints. Health equity happens when every person can attain their full health potential no matter their socially determined circumstances. This academy provided us opportunities to reflect on how health equity plays a role in decision making and how we can best advocate for our patients.
The academy concluded with the topic of empathy. We often think of empathy as an inherent trait of healthcare professionals. We want to help people live their best lives and be there for them when they need help. If people aren’t born with it, however, how can they gain empathy? Think of empathy as a learned skill that needs to be practiced. We can learn to be open to listening and treat others as important and deserving of respect. We can learn to accept that our own ideas are not always right, and we don’t always know what is best. If we are able to be curious about others and learn about what is truly important to them, we can better serve them as healthcare partners.
I highly recommend that everyone apply for this virtual mini academy. It has been a wonderful way to learn, grow, and increase my personal awareness. By striving for equity in healthcare, I will continue to find meaningful ways to positively impact patient care every day.
Samantha Sollman, MSN, FNP-C is a staff nurse at Deaconess Health System in Evansville, Indiana, USA. She is a member of Sigma’s Omicron Psi Chapter