Am being treated poorly

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi,

So I recently changed facilities and I am working in my specialty and am doing fine getting along with people in general, BUT for one nurse in particular who constantly is talking to other staff in a non-English language. This is at the nursing station and in front of patients and other staff who do not speak that language. This is in California.

I have nothing, nothing against this persons culture but I am fed up with the constant talk and the disrespect and bad feelings it is causing. Are they talking about the weather, their kids, the patient, me? How would I know!!! This is against hospital policy(except on breaks and non patient areas). I went along with 3 other new employees(one of whom speaks that language by the way) to management to discuss how to handle this. They said that she has been warned and counseled about this many times and has been to classes etc. So my question is why does it continue? Am I so wrong to feel offended by this? This wouldn't fly if I was working in a foreign hosptial would it?

Please no attacks on how we Americans are too sensetive and that I hate non Americans becasue both my parents were from other countries(2 different ones) and I was raised on English since they couldn't speak one anothers language:)

Thanks, I am very upset becasue I believe that this is being tolerated and is not nice in general. We work together, why leave your co-wokrers out of your conversations on the job?

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I see this all the time and have yet to see any good solution. I believe that this is unprofessional behavior when you are working in a country where the majority of people speak American English. Since we do not have a law regarding an official language, and our governments spend millions of dollars printing information in English and multiple other languages, I am not sure that there will ever by anything we can do about this. To help cope with it, just tell yourself that the staff that is doing this are unprofessional and not worthy of your time and energy being irritated about it.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

You're not wrong.

If the behavior she's engaged in is against hospital policy, then she needs to be reported. Apparently she needs it over and over, but she needs to be reported.

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I see this all the time and have yet to see any good solution. I believe that this is unprofessional behavior when you are working in a country where the majority of people speak American English. Since we do not have a law regarding an official language, and our governments spend millions of dollars printing information in English and multiple other languages, I am not sure that there will ever by anything we can do about this. To help cope with it, just tell yourself that the staff that is doing this are unprofessional and not worthy of your time and energy being irritated about it.

i agree with rn1989.

it's a battle you will not win.

move on, for your own sanity.

leslie

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If it's against hospital policy, write it up everytime it occurs.

How many write ups before they fire someone?

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I don't think it is worth the energy, because this is something that will not change. The way I see it is if the person communicates in English when I need them to, for nurse to nurse report, to confer about patient and job issues, that is all I really need. And, if they are talking about me, so what?? I'd rather not know, because that would give me a reason to really, really be angry. Just my 2 cents.

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Specializes in ER/ICU, CCL, EP.
i agree with rn1989.

it's a battle you will not win.

move on, for your own sanity.

leslie

:yeahthat:

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Hi,

So I recently changed facilities and I am working in my specialty and am doing fine getting along with people in general, BUT for one nurse in particular who constantly is talking to other staff in a non-English language. This is at the nursing station and in front of patients and other staff who do not speak that language. This is in California.

I have nothing, nothing against this persons culture but I am fed up with the constant talk and the disrespect and bad feelings it is causing. Are they talking about the weather, their kids, the patient, me? How would I know!!! This is against hospital policy(except on breaks and non patient areas). I went along with 3 other new employees(one of whom speaks that language by the way) to management to discuss how to handle this. They said that she has been warned and counseled about this many times and has been to classes etc. So my question is why does it continue? Am I so wrong to feel offended by this? This wouldn't fly if I was working in a foreign hosptial would it?

Please no attacks on how we Americans are too sensetive and that I hate non Americans becasue both my parents were from other countries(2 different ones) and I was raised on English since they couldn't speak one anothers language:)

Thanks, I am very upset becasue I believe that this is being tolerated and is not nice in general. We work together, why leave your co-wokrers out of your conversations on the job?

She knows what's she's doing. People will resort to most anything to gain an 'edge'. That's nursing culture in a nutshell. She is dominating you. Simple. Anything goes.

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I am sorry to hear that you are feeling that way. However, I believe that you don't have control over this situation completely. Don't take it personally------maybe she's just more comfortable speaking in her native tongue. Also, what makes you think that she speaks in her native tongue because she is saying something about you? I believe that if a person truly wants to spread nasty rumors about someone/talk badly about someone, he or she will regardless of the language.

Hi,

So I recently changed facilities and I am working in my specialty and am doing fine getting along with people in general, BUT for one nurse in particular who constantly is talking to other staff in a non-English language. This is at the nursing station and in front of patients and other staff who do not speak that language. This is in California.

I have nothing, nothing against this persons culture but I am fed up with the constant talk and the disrespect and bad feelings it is causing. Are they talking about the weather, their kids, the patient, me? How would I know!!! This is against hospital policy(except on breaks and non patient areas). I went along with 3 other new employees(one of whom speaks that language by the way) to management to discuss how to handle this. They said that she has been warned and counseled about this many times and has been to classes etc. So my question is why does it continue? Am I so wrong to feel offended by this? This wouldn't fly if I was working in a foreign hosptial would it?

Please no attacks on how we Americans are too sensetive and that I hate non Americans becasue both my parents were from other countries(2 different ones) and I was raised on English since they couldn't speak one anothers language:)

Thanks, I am very upset becasue I believe that this is being tolerated and is not nice in general. We work together, why leave your co-wokrers out of your conversations on the job?

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Ah, let it go. Lots of nurses speak Tagalog around me on my unit. I'm actually starting to pick up a little bit of the language. In certain situations it could be construed as rudeness, but sometimes I think that they just forget that not everyone can understand. Pick your battles, I say. You are making it more personal than it has to be. Save your energy and emotion for the really important stuff. As problems go, this one is not so bad.

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I know how you feel but you cannot win. Ignore her. :icon_hug:

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Specializes in ER, Acute care.

I am in total agreement with you, I work at a facility and there is one particular nurse who speaks a fluent language and a specific doc who speaks that language, they are both bilingual, well it really gets to me when I am making rounds with this doc on my pt's and she appears in the hallway to interupt and start the language thing. I just walk away, but it really ticks me offffffffff..............you are in America, speak ENGLISH,,,,,,,,,,,it seems that some take a second language toooooo far.

:madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface::madface: I would be careful and ask HR if the policy for Communications in differnt languages could be posted in the break room.There are probably more upset nurses than you, they just may not speak out...........talk to HR. :stone

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