Racism and Professional Competence: Nursing Students in Interracial Evaluations

Abstract

Background: This pilot study examined the association of internal and external motivation of White nursing students to avoid appearing racist while interacting with standardized patients in a simulation-based learning experience (SP-SBLE). The influence of nursing students' preexisting motivations to avoid racism were examined for their effect on clinical performance in their SP-SBLE. Method: White nursing students ( N = 50) completed measures of motivations to avoid racism prior to their end of semester practical examination. Students were then randomly assigned to an SBLE with a SP portraying chest pain. Results: White students interacting with White SPs performed better than White students interacting with Black SPs. Conclusion: Concern about appearing racist may interfere with White students' ability to perform well in a clinical setting because it may draw cognitive resources away from the clinical task. This is a first step in understanding how nursing students' perceptions may contribute to racial inequities in health. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(1):41–45.]