Investigating the Personal and Professional Variables That Predict Discrimination Attitudes Among Nurses and Physicians

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare professionals are expected to provide holistic care to their patients without discrimination based on factors such as religion, language, age, gender, and race. Design: It is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Aim: The study aimed to examine the discriminatory attitudes of nurses and physicians working in hospitals in Sanliurfa and to define whether the personal and professional variables predict discriminatory attitudes among them. Methods: The STROBE reporting method, which is one of the EQUATOR guidelines, was followed. Data were collected from a total of 376 physicians and nurses through online platforms between March and June 2020 via the information form and the Discrimination Attitude Scale. Results: The discriminatory attitudes of the nurses and physicians participating in the study were above average. The total discriminatory attitudes scores of the participants varied according to sex, income levels, profession, hospital experience, and unit (p < 0.05). In addition, sex, profession and unit variables predicted the total discriminatory attitudes of nurses and physicians (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Although nurses' and physicians' discriminatory attitudes scores were generally higher, the highest mean score was in the subscale "discrimination against other nationalities." Sex, profession, and unit variables predicted the total discriminatory attitudes of nurses and physicians. Further quantitative and qualitative research is needed to understand the reasons for the highest discriminatory attitudes towards other nationalities among healthcare professionals, to overcome this issue. Clinical Relevance: Nursing or healthcare managers, as well as policymakers, may consider the predictive variables when staffing and training nurses and physicians working in similar regions and conditions.