Each person has his or her own personal history; that is, his or her collected experiences. Everything you have ever seen, heard, felt, learned, or experienced has lead to the development of this personal history. Factors that affect this history include your gender, race, age, ethnicity, culture, education, native language, and religion, to name a few. Collectively, these factors create the sum total of who you are as a person. Bias occurs when a person has a tendency towards a particular perspective or ideology (i.e. your personal history); after all, you see the world through your own eyes. To some extent, every person has a natural bias. However, if or when your personal bias interferes with your ability to be unprejudiced or objective – especially in your nursing practice – your biases can become problematic. In this discussion, you will have the opportunity to determine how strong your biases are.You should post your original message by 23:59 PM Wednesday. You should also reply to posts by two of your peers by 23:59 PM, Saturday of Module 3.

GUIDELINES

In the professional nursing practice, nurses must provide unbiased care, even in situations where the person/s being treated have different backgrounds (language, religion, culture, ethnicity, etc.) than you. The first step in overcoming and minimizing personal biases is to recognize them. In this discussion, you will assess your personal biases. Answer the questions honestly and to the best of your ability, noting that there are no right or wrong answers.

· Complete the General Awareness and Attitudes Scale

o The General Awareness and Attitudes Scale is adapted from the Cultural Awareness Scale by Catterson, Cookston, Martinez, & Rew (1998). Answer the question as honestly as possible. There are no right or wrong answers.

· Once you complete and score the General Awareness and Attitudes Scale, answer the following questions:

· What does the scale say about you?

· How strong are your biases?

· NOTE: Do NOT post your individual scores. This discussion is not about how you score, but about personal discovery. In other words, the focus of this discussion is about what you learn about yourself. You also do NOT need to share your score with your academic coach.

· How can you address these personal biases in your professional nursing practice?

Your original post should consist of complete sentences and should be at least two complete paragraphs but no more than three paragraphs.