Aja Sullivan
Former Instructor, Barnes Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing
I posit that empathy is a core facet of healthcare. In specific, I aim to assess empathy and prosocial behaviors in clinicians and pre-licensure healthcare students to develop interventions that address both explicit and implicit biases detrimental to marginalized groups.
Data indicates significant levels of bias and burnout among healthcare professionals, affecting both individual and collective outcomes. This intertwines with cognitive dissonance leading to an empathy paradox – wherein self-empathy might come at the cost of empathy towards others.
One dimension that remains underexplored is resistance to DEI in healthcare. Despite their vocational identities, are susceptible to moral fallacies, which can have profound consequences. Reflecting upon one’s biases and identity is paramount to fostering empathy and genuinely engaging in DEI initiatives.
I propose the “Enhancing Empathy and Inclusion through Virtual Reality Simulation” project. It uses VR to immerse professionals in diverse patient experiences, addressing biases and emphasizing empathy. Creating an embodied experience aims to prioritize experiential impact over ideology, with evaluations measuring changes in empathy and bias. This project seeks to elevate healthcare quality universally.