XA3001 Competency Discussion Question 

1. How might your personal experiences, self-identity, and bias impact your community and decision-making?
2. Reflect on the demands that are or may be placed on you every day that may be compounded while in school. What strategies, resources, and/or boundaries might you implement to address these demands and why?

XA3001 Competency Discussion Answer

ANA’s position statement on dismantling racism highlights the importance of ongoing self reflection to identify bias. Our own experiences shape our perceptions and the actions we take. As a nurse, we need to communicate with patients from diverse backgrounds, understand their needs, and make sure there is no stone unturned in their care. We need to put ourselves in their shoes to understand their prospective. The social determinants of health can create barriers to care which we need to take into consideration. A diabetic patient who does not take medicines as prescribed and misses follow up appointments might be labelled as non compliant without considering the economic hardships he is going through, inability to pay, lack of transportation and basic facilities around the area he stays etc. This can lead to inequitable care even though it is not intentional. ANA Code of Ethics emphasizes on human dignity, advocacy, social justice, and reducing health inequities. Nurses need to consider the socio-economic factors of the patients without any bias or assumptions based on personal experiences.

Nurses face heavy workloads, staff shortages, stressful environment, and caring for patients with different needs. These demands can be further compounded while in school. However, it is important to manage family responsibilities, continuing education, and professional requirements effectively. Effective time management is important to be able to handle multiple responsibilities at one go. The ultimate goal is to provide respectful care to all the patients ethically to promote social justice and health inequalities. Continuing education will only help this cause by providing mentorship, professional resources to keep learning and improving my skills. Ensuring self care is also important to be able to do my best. Meditation and yoga can help prevent stress and burnout and not letting any frustration impact the quality of care provided.

References:

American Nurses Association. (2022). The nurse’s role and responsibility in unveiling and dismantling racism in nursing (Position statement). American Nurses Association.
https://www.nursingworld.org/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/nursing-excellence/ana-position-statements/ana-the-nurses-role-and-responsibility-in-unveiling-and-dismantling-racism-in-nursing.pdf

American Nurses Association. (2025). Code of ethics for nursing.
https://codeofethics.ana.org/home