Background: Maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity rates in the United States are higher than many other wealthy countries, and significant racial disparities exist. Black and Hispanic persons who are pregnant are more likely to have adverse maternal outcomes than their White peers. Implicit bias and incivility among healthcare workers may contribute to these disparities.
Purpose: The primary objective of the proposed quality improvement initiative is to enhance employee engagement using implicit bias self-mitigation strategies as outlined in the training module. The reduction of participant cognitive load, facilitated by scheduled breaks during working hours, is intended to aid employees in mitigating their biases by creating a learning environment more conducive to germane cognitive load and improved retention of the newly acquired skill set.
Methods: An educational session about implicit bias, its effects on patient care and staff relationships, and the introduction to implicit bias self-mitigation strategies was conducted. Participants were also encouraged to take uninterrupted break periods during working hours to decrease cognitive load and stress, to better employ implicit bias self-mitigation strategies.
Results: A response rate of 2.9% (n=7) and an absence of returning participants for the follow-up surveys limited evaluation of the project. Intended outcome measures included break-taking behaviors pre-and post-intervention, current burnout levels measured by the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and respondents’ self-reported ability to use implicit self-mitigation strategies.
Conclusion: Implicit bias self-mitigation requires conscious thought and mental energy to be implemented. Increased cognitive load, such as extraneous cognitive load from distractions in the environment (skipping break periods), may impair APRNs from using self-mitigation strategies, and lead practitioners to subconsciously apply biases to clinical situations and interpersonal interactions.
