IMPLICIT GENDER BIASES AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL LIMIT RECOGNITION IN CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION SIMULATIONS

Abstract

Implicit biases permeate our everyday behavior and take many different forms. This study was carried out to identify if implicit gender biases exist within the medical student and resident populations, and then whether those biases affect a compressor’s ability to recognize their limitations during a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A survey containing the Neosexism Scale1 was sent to University of Arizona college of Medicine- Tucson medical students and residents in the emergency and internal medicine programs. No statistically significant differences were discovered, although males and medical students trended to possess a higher average neosexism score than females and residents respectively. Twenty-three undergraduate student participants (5 male; 18 female) were recruited and placed in all female identifying or mixed gender identifying teams to complete CPR simulation scenarios. CPR compression quality was assessed and statistically analyzed using student’s t-tests. In comparing the amount of time providing poor quality compressions during simulation CPR scenarios, females preformed poor quality compressions longer when in a group of male teammates than when in a group of only females (p = 0.02).