The Importance Of Discrimination In Nursing Education

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White privilege is a benefit that society gives to a white person. It is embedded in and supported by institutions, where it overtly manifests and reproduces as inequality (Cox & Taua, 2016, p. 48). This translates into preferential treatment for white coloured individuals. Such injustice results in the oppression of those who are not white, leading to unequal access to education, healthcare, housing, and employment (Gorski, 2003, p. 9).

Lund and Scipio (2010, p. 36) describes white privilege is in essence an existentialist norm that 's based upon the power and privilege of skin pigmentation. This privilege, to those who enjoy it, is virtually invisible but its racist repercussions are not. There 's a false sense of their privilege being …show more content…

Puzan (2003, p. 197) discusses racial stratification being responsible for organizing social relations, meaning that through language and practice, nurses participate in the production and maintenance of patient identities. Nurses are vulnerable to interacting and responding to patients with unconscious biases, relying on embedded and accepted stereotypes. Racial health care inequality is a multidimensional problem, with barriers to health care involving the health care system, the patient, community, and health care providers themselves. A lack of awareness and education pertaining to issues of race, racism, and whiteness contribute to poor perceptions are being addressed within Australian nursing curriculum (Van Den Berg, 2010, p. 2). The relationship between health and racism has been found as the cause of persistent health differences by racial or ethnic classification and racism is identified as the root cause of the extreme socio-economic and health disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal Australians (Larson et al, 2007, p. 26). Possessing a diversity and cross cultural competency is important, as is paying attention to systemic policies and procedures that negatively impact a nurse’s ability to provide adequate care to people of all races.

A diverse range of elements affects patient experiences in relation to the quality of nursing care. However, nurses often have to reconcile systemic biases with their desire to provide nursing care that 's based on patient needs and preferences. Establishing autonomy over their own practice in order to improve patient experiences is considered optimal.
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