Blind Spots & Bias in Pain Management

Data demonstrates that approaches to care provided to patients experiencing pain and/or substance misuse is often tinged with implicit, potentially stigmatizing language or behaviors. This language and behavior has the ability to damage the therapeutic alliance and negatively affect patient outcomes including inequity. Nurses need to know how to recognize this language and behavior within the care they provide (communication, assessment, and documentation). Nurses need to know what best practices are available to mitigate implicit bias to improve future interactions and care provided to patients experiencing pain and/or substance misuse.

Session objectives:

  • Review the impact of implicit bias on patients experiencing pain and/or substance misuse
  • Examine the relationship between the use of stigmatizing language and equity of care for patients
  • Experiencing pain and/or substance use disorder (SUD)
  • Explore strategies to identify implicit bias in the care of patients experiencing pain or substance misuse
  • List methods to mitigate implicit bias in the delivery of healthcare to patients with pain or SUD

Successful completion of learning activity:

Participants who complete the pre-assessment questions, view the recorded webinar in its entirety, complete the post-assessment/evaluation form, and pass the post-test with 80% or higher, will receive an electronic certificate via email. RNs completing the activity will receive 1.5 contact hours of continuing education.

Approved as required Michigan license renewal implicit bias content.

The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.


PRE-ASSESSMENT

You must complete the pre-assessment questions before viewing the presentation per LARA Implicit Bias training requirements. After the form has been submitted, you will be taken to the presentation page.