On seeing an elderly lady misplace her spectacles, a nurse tells her colleague "All old people are forgetful." Her comment is a form of

1. A

   Eulogy

2. B

   Denial

3. C

   Racism

4. D

   Stereotyping

Appeared in: GMCH - 2015

Explanation

• Stereotyping is defined as the process of using social categories (like age, race, or gender) to acquire, process, and recall information about others.
• The nurse's comment, "All old people are forgetful," is a stereotype because it attributes a single characteristic (forgetfulness) to an entire group (the elderly) based on one person's action.
• This oversimplification ignores the vast individual differences among older adults and can lead to biased care.
• This specific type of stereotyping based on age is also known as ageism, which is discrimination against people because of negative and inaccurate stereotypes about aging.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: A eulogy is a speech given in praise of a person, usually after they have died. It has no connection to making a generalized, negative comment about a group of people.
• Option B: Denial is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual refuses to acknowledge a painful reality. The nurse is not in denial; she is making an external judgment about others.
• Option C: Racism involves prejudice and discrimination based on race or ethnicity. The nurse's comment is based on age, not race.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing The concept tested is the identification of cognitive biases in a healthcare context, specifically stereotyping and ageism helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Stereotyping in nursing is dangerous as it can lead to misdiagnosis and poor patient outcomes. Assuming a symptom like confusion is 'normal' for an elderly patient can cause a nurse to miss acute, treatable conditions like delirium, infections (e.g., UTI), or adverse drug reactions.
• What if the elderly lady was showing signs of acute confusion, not just simple forgetfulness? A non-stereotyping nurse would perform a cognitive assessment (like the CAM for delirium) and check for underlying causes, whereas a stereotyping nurse might dismiss it as 'just old age,' potentially delaying critical treatment.
• Nurses have an ethical and professional responsibility to challenge ageism and other stereotypes in the workplace to ensure all patients receive equitable and high-quality care.

How to Approach the Question

• First, carefully read the scenario and identify the core action: a nurse makes a broad, generalized statement about a group of people (the elderly).
• Next, analyze the lead-in phrase "Her comment is a form of..." This tells you the question is asking for the specific term that defines this type of comment.
• Review each option and its definition. Compare the definition to the action in the scenario.
• Eulogy is about praise for the dead. Denial is a defense mechanism. Racism is about race. None of these fit.
• Stereotyping is defined as making a fixed generalization about a group. This perfectly matches the nurse's statement, "All old people are forgetful."
• Therefore, select the option that defines this specific cognitive bias.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: The concept tested is the identification of cognitive biases in a healthcare context, specifically stereotyping and ageism.
• Stem keywords: elderly lady, misplace her spectacles, All old people are forgetful
• Lead-in keywords: comment is a form of
• Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

Question ID

Qw_zEC60ya7MPKGADmMbfJ

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 108-110

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 1 pp. 133-135, 205-207