Good intentions do not always produce equitable outcomes. In this interactive session, healthcare professionals will explore how implicit bias can shape what we notice, the stories we tell ourselves about patients, and the decisions we make in everyday care. Through healthcare-based scenarios, discussion, and practical strategies, participants will learn to distinguish observation from assumption, recognize how language can reinforce bias, and identify opportunities to interrupt the process. Because sometimes the most important moment is the moment before we make the judgment.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Define implicit bias and distinguish it from explicit bias and intentional discrimination.
2. Identify how implicit bias can influence perception, communication, judgment, and decision-making during healthcare encounters.
3. Analyze healthcare scenarios to distinguish observable facts from assumptions and identify how patient narratives can contribute to barriers or disparities in care.
4. Apply at least two practical, evidence-informed strategies for interrupting implicit bias and supporting equitable, patient-centered communication and decision-making.