1 CE Contact Hour
Course Duration: Self-paced (estimated completion time 1 hour)
This course meets the qualifications for 1 hour of continuing education credit for Registered Nurses as required by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 18037.
Author
Wendy J. Stone, PsyD, MFT, RN, is a Doctor of Psychology and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and Registered Nurse. Dr. Stone has more than 35 years of experience serving patients in a variety of roles, including nursing, marriage/family counseling, education, and psychiatric care. Dr. Stone currently provides psychological counseling for a variety of patient profiles both in-person and via videoconferencing. She is also a seasoned medical administrator and professional trainer and educator. As the author of an expanding portfolio of professional education and self-help materials, Dr. Stone continues to increase the range of her service to patients, professionals, and the community at large.
Course Description
This one-unit course explores the concept of implicit bias and its impact on healthcare delivery. Participants will examine how unconscious attitudes and stereotypes affect clinical judgment, patient-provider communication, and health outcomes. Through real-world examples, interactive scenarios, and self-assessments, this course empowers healthcare professionals to recognize their biases and take actionable steps to mitigate their effects.
Learning Objectives
This course aims to equip healthcare professionals with the foundational understanding and practical tools necessary to recognize and reduce implicit bias in clinical settings. Participants will be guided to reflect on personal and systemic factors that shape health disparities and encouraged to adopt practices that foster more equitable care.
Measurable Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define implicit bias.
- Name the brain areas primarily involved in the development and regulation of implicit bias.
- Name a documented consequence of implicit racial bias in healthcare.
- Name one example of organized equity in healthcare.
- Name a good example of equity-focused personal action.
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Foundations of Implicit Bias (10 minutes)
- Definitions: Implicit bias vs. explicit bias
- Origins of bias: Cognitive shortcuts and cultural conditioning
- Neuroscience of bias: How the brain forms unconscious associations
- Self-reflection activity: Take an Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Lesson 2: Implicit Bias in Healthcare Settings (10 minutes)
- Case studies highlighting bias in diagnosis, pain management, and patient communication
- Research findings on racial, gender, age, and weight bias
Lesson 3: Strategies for Bias Mitigation (15 minutes)
- Individually focused strategies: Mindfulness, individuation, perspective-taking
- Institutional approaches: Protocol development, equitable policies, team-based training
Lesson 4: Building Equity into Clinical Practice (10 minutes)
- Cultural humility and lifelong learning
- Advocacy and allyship within healthcare systems
- Organizational accountability tools
Final Test (15 minutes)
How to Take This Course
- Review the course material for each lesson and take the lesson quiz. Each quiz will be reviewed upon submission to show the correct and incorrect answers. The correct answers for incorrect responses are provided to aid in effective deep learning.
- Review the graded quiz results for the lesson and note your correct and incorrect answers.
- Revisit the sections in the lesson pertaining to your incorrect answers and when you arecomfortable that you understand the material, retake the quiz. You may take lesson quizzes as many times as necessary until you feel that you have mastered the material.
- Lesson quizzes do not count toward course completion.
- When you have completed all lessons in the course, access the Final Test section and take the test. You may review all of your answers while you are working on the Final Test, but once you submit your answers, you will not be able to change them.
- The Final Test will be graded immediately. A score of 70% correct answers is required for a Certificate of Completion.
- If you do not achieve a 70% score on the first attempt, you may retake the Final Test up to two more times (a total of 3 attempts). It is highly recommended that you review the lessons related toyour incorrect answers before you retake the Final Test.
- You will be invited to download your Certificate of Completion upon achieving a 70% score or higher on the Final Test and completing the Course Evaluation.