We wanted to send our gratitude to Hanifea Click, L&D RN, for helping providers give better care to diverse patients, including Black women.  We are grateful that she takes the time to have courageous conversations, even if they are sometimes uncomfortable, in order to increase awareness among all of the providers about how equity concerns and implicit bias could show up in our day-to-day work.

For example, the team recently cared for a patient who was not a KP patient, and Hanifea brought up that while we do need to arrange her follow-up elsewhere due to her coverage, we should be careful not to miss things or inadvertently dismiss her concerns just because she is "not a KP patient."  

In another example, a patient had changed her mind about what she wanted in her L&D care related to the delivery of a periviable infant.  Before admission, she said she wanted comfort care for her very premature baby, but in the hospital, she changed her mind and wanted full intervention.  Hanifea pointed out that the patient told her that, as a black nurse, she wanted to revisit the plan but had been too overwhelmed to say this when the physicians were in the room.  Hanfiea 
pointed out to the care team that their manner had not elicited the patient's true feelings.

Both these women were Black, which highlights the need for more awareness of our implicit biases when caring for our patients on MCH. Hanifea modeled how to help the team to do this in a courageous, respectful, and caring way.

The team wanted to recognize and express our gratitude for Hanifea, who takes the time and energy to have these conversations to help make us all better providers in caring for all of our patients.