Potential discrimination in nursing complaint intake cases

Abstract

Background

Many leading nursing and healthcare organizations have called for discrimination against patients and nurses to be addressed. Discrimination has been identified as a factor contributing to nursing workforce shortages and other prominent issues. However, few existing studies have looked at regulation or disciplinary cases in particular.

Purpose

Closed Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) disciplinary cases were reviewed to identify instances of discrimination that may have been better addressed through opening the case for investigation.

Methods

Fifty-nine closed nursing complaint cases were found across 6 months that had elements of implicit and explicit bias and potential discrimination. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to characterize the types of discrimination that arose in our collected cases.

Results

Of 59 total collected cases, discrimination was identified across 37 cases (62.7 %). Among the 9 types of discrimination identified, race (15 cases), disability (12 cases), and sex (10 cases) were the most commonly identified types of discrimination. Many cases reported multiple instances of discrimination—a total of 57 references to a type of discrimination were found across the 37 cases. Intersectional discrimination was noted among cases that referenced two or more types of discrimination.

Conclusion

This study will be used to better understand discrimination complaints and improve intake processes for these cases. At the WABON, we used study results to improve disciplinary processes: updating our complaint intake form with new questions regarding discrimination, updating our criteria for opening cases, and publishing a policy statement on discrimination.