{"id":38,"date":"2022-09-19T09:05:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T13:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/assessmentnursing2\/?post_type=chapter&p=38"},"modified":"2022-11-17T13:17:30","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T18:17:30","slug":"reflecting-on-your-own-biases","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/assessmentnursing2\/chapter\/reflecting-on-your-own-biases\/","title":{"raw":"Reflecting on Your Own Biases","rendered":"Reflecting on Your Own Biases"},"content":{"raw":"Everyone has biases<\/strong>, meaning preconceived notions about something (such as pain) or someone. Biases can be related to race\/ethnicity, gender\/sex, age, and medical conditions, and they can develop as a result of various factors including culture, personal experiences, and popular media.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhen we first see a client, we tend to make assumptions about the presence and even the severity of pain based on cues that are readily available to us (e.g., facial expression, body positioning, vocalizations) (Riva et al., 2011). These assumptions are rooted in our biases<\/strong> regarding what pain looks and even sounds like. These biases may emerge from our own personal experiences. Our initial impressions of a client\u2019s pain can form what is called an \u201canchor\u201d or have an \u201canchor effect\u201d in which all additional assessments of the client\u2019s pain are influenced by these initial impressions (Riva et al., 2011). These assumptions can also be based on racist ideas (discussed further in the next section) or on ageist ideas, for example that older people or newborns do not feel pain. Another biased assumption is that people living with cognitive impairment (such as dementia) do not feel pain in the same way as others because they may have difficulty articulating that pain. These assumptions can mean that pain is underassessed and undertreated in certain populations.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt is also very important to be aware that some people may openly talk about their pain and cry out in agony, while others may be stoic and hide their pain. Some people may stay home in bed when they are in pain while others may continue with their daily life and go to work.<\/span>\r\n\r\nUnexplored biases can have a strong influence on pain assessment<\/strong>. This is particularly important considering that healthcare professionals have been found to underestimate pain in comparison with the client\u2019s own self-report (Seers et al., 2018). As such, it is vital that you constantly reflect upon and explore your biases related to pain and pain assessment.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFor example, try to explore your own inherent biases related to what pain looks like by reflecting on the following questions:<\/span>\r\n