‘Get me another nurse!’: Nurses’ perspectives on identity-based care refusals, discrimination, and institutional support

When patient preferences for a certain healthcare provider are based on identity traits such as gender, skin colour, ethnicity, or religion, the right to free choice of healthcare provider may come into tension with the provider’s right to equal treatment. This qualitative study explores the complex experiences of nurses when confronted with these types of patient requests. It investigates how and when nurses recognise such requests as discriminatory or unjust, and whether they choose to report or address them. Drawing on in-depth interviews, the research examines nurses’ attitudes and responses, including how they differentiate between types of requests, interpret patients’ motivations, and consider contextual factors. The study also explores nurses’ perspectives on institutional policies in managing these situations by analysing how they navigate and interpret institutional guidelines, through a ‘naming, blaming, and claiming’ framework. The findings aim to inform policymakers to develop and promote more equitable and inclusive healthcare practices.