assumptions of title

purplemania, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2001

I wear my badge prominently and introduce myself quickly. While reading some of the messages and observing the language and poor grammar I wondered if you talk like you write. If so, you don't sound too professional, which may account for some prejudice. I once worked for a female surgeon whose husband was a hospital admin.. She told us about the time he, his wife and other staff members (and spouses) gave a tour of the new surgery wing. He pointed out two doors marked "Doctors" and "Nurses". His wife asked would she be undressing for surgery with all the other physicians. The next day the signs read "Male" and "Female". She chose to laugh about the incident but it is noted here as an illustration of ignorance which can be construed as prejudice, if you want to make a big deal out of it.

Jay Levan · Dec 11, 2001

Teshiee, first let me appologise for the apparent rudeness of some who replied to you. I am ashamed of their lack of caring, of so sensitive a problem. I have a different problem, I am always addressed as "Doctor" by those ignorant people, probably many just as you have been exposed to. You must learn to be "thick skinned" when encountering these individuals, or your demons will consume you. I am in fact a male R.N. who has twenty eight years experience at this so if ever you feel the need to contact me, please feel free to PM me anytime. Be well and strong and take good care of your patients, let that be your motivation and reward. PEACE :) Jay

Teshiee · Dec 11, 2001

Thanks, Jay I am the most thick skinned person I know. Being black for 34 years of my life I don't have a choice but to be otherwise. Individuals like Purplemania don't bother me at all I am so used to those "kind". I just put a simple question out there to see if anyone gets prejudge based on color, creed, or whatever Americans tend to be discriminating about. Just because people don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

nana kathy · Dec 12, 2001

Originally posted by Teshiee
Thanks, Jay .............. Just because people don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I guess you just nailed the the LARGEST bigotry problem on the head... ALSO, Thanks Jay.... My thoughts exactly......

Love and you take care Teshiee, Nana Kathy.

SMILE GOD LOVES YOU.....

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Jun 11, 2002

originally posted by purplemania
...while reading some of the messages and observing the language and poor grammar i wondered if you talk like you write. if so, you don't sound too professional, which may account for some prejudice....

where did this come from??? there's nothing wrong with anyone's posts here...

who in in the world left you judge & jury in talking about another's style of communicating :confused:

???

if it weren't for the fact that some have decided to make their ethnic identity known, i, like others, certainly wouldn't know what their ethnic background were simply by reading their posts alone...you sound like you're angry that they did. obviously, this is a :sniff: touchy subject matter, among others, for many nurses here...that's why we come this this bb & vent.

making opinions on a subject matter is one thing, but attacking others with your personal opinion of them evidenced by your above post is not only insulting & unprofessional, it's unacceptable. why you must be one of those :uhoh21: "type" of people who commit these kinds of assumptions of people of color by the tone of your post...if not, you sure :rolleyes: sound like one of them!!!

purplemania, please understand, all that is trying to be conveyed is that it is a terrible feeling to have gone through school & achieve your license which says that you're qualified to work as a professional nurse, only to have people think that you've somehow got over on the system through affirmative action in order to be employed as such...worse yet, to have people physically get sick at the thought of someone of color even touching them...as if their ethnicity is going to rub off onto them!!!

purplemania, you see, i don't know where some patients minds are because all that affirmative action does is see to it that minority people (which includes: all people of color, not just blacks; all females, including whites; & all disable people, of all race), have at a minimum, a certain percentage of being accepted in colleges/universities, be hired in the work force, & be given a chance at bidding for contracts as independent contractors. once a minority is accepted in a college or university, it's up to that individual to pass all the criteria necessary to graduate...& if required...to pass a bar or licensure examination. contrary to belief, minorities aren't given "special treatment" in order to graduate; but even if they did, how could they be able to pass their perspective licensure examinations? i still don't understand why many white people are so dead set against affirmative action when so many benefit from it. females (this includes many whites) have been given opportunities that they've would've never had if it weren't for affirmative action. there are way more professional female lawyers, judges, doctors, architect, engineers, pilots, astronauts, scientists, etc, now than ever...why, you've guess it...as a direct results or the civil rights act & affirmative action.

those people who want to see it stop before the country's ready for it to end fail to realize that they would be hurting themselves. many white males, example, have benefited from affirmative action...how you asked...because they're either married to or are sons of those same females that have gotten their head start through affirmative action...not to mention that whites statistically out number minorities in this country...therefore, there will be more white females benefiting from affirmative actions than females of other races. even with that, again, affirmative action is only design to ensure a minimum hiring or college administration of the population that statically made-up of white males.

businesses have been made to recognize the talents & contributions that minorities have to offer...it's a shame that our country needed to institute such a system due to unfair entrance administering & hiring practices...hopefully in the future, affirmative action wouldn't be needed because minorities would have equal opportunity based on knowledge & performance...until then, it should remain in place.

how would you like it if whenever you go to get on an elevator at work & someone clutches their purse tighter & look at you with distrust & distain just because you're a minority person of color (usually this happens to blacks & dark skinned latina & native americans); despite the fact that you're wearing hospital specific uniforms with identification badges which says that you're employed there...let alone being mistaken for some other positions that aren't considered as high in status & given the respect that physicians, nurses, & other professional health care worker (ot/pt & social worker) receive.

purplemania, that's some of the angry feelings that are being vented & conveyed here...as best as it can be... without sounding bitter.

moonshadeau, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, APN, NP, CNS · Jun 11, 2002

Back on topic, I had a visitor come up to the desk the other day where I was sitting talking to a slighter older nurse. (I do look young and am young) I asked this lady if she needed some help. She asked who her father's nurse was. I told who she was and that we would find her. She completely ignored me and only talked to the older nurse next to me like I was invisable, even though she told her the exact same thing that I did. I can only guess that because of my age she didn't think that I was qualified to give her any information. But then again that is just a perception on my part. :rolleyes:

live4today, RN · Jun 11, 2002

Scenario: I walked into one of my assigned patients rooms at the beginning of my shift. The patient said "Honey, can you go get a nurse for me. I need something for pain. I said, Sure, I'll take care of that for you. I left her room, returned with her pain medication, and introduced myself as her nurse. The patient said, "No offense, but I prefer a white nurse." I left the room to get the Charge Nurse who came to the patients room to talk to her. She told the Charge Nurse that she did not want a Black nurse. The Charge Nurse told her that she had no choice but to have me as a nurse, but she was free to check herself out of the hospital and into one more her liking if she wished. Right on Charge Nurse! :chuckle The patient decided to tolerate having me as her nurse - with much skepticism of course. By the end of the shift, she thanked me for taking such good care of her. Of course, throughout the shift she took advantage of every opportunity to ask a ton of questions to make sure I was truly "qualified" to be a nurse.

I've had patients tell me that I looked like their maid. Ask me if I was related to their maid. Call me racial names when they were being combative to staff and so forth.

On the other hand, during one of my travel nurse assignments at Ohio State University hospital, a young man was admitted with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. His family made it very clear that they did not want a White nurse. Since I was the only Black nurse available that shift, I was asked to go talk to the family and try to reason with them...make them comfortable...reassure them their son would receive the best of care regardless of who is nurse was, etc. I walked into the patient's room, spoke to the family, explained that I would start his IV, then went over his plan of care with the family, talked to them about the nurses on the unit and asked them if they had any particular fears about having their son cared for by a nurse who happened to be white. They shared their concerns with me, and I reassured them their loved one would not be treated unfairly as a patient on our unit, etc., etc. He was a patient on our unit for at least a week, and during that period of time, the family relaxed quite a bit once they saw the excellent care their son was getting by the staff. Sometimes it just takes educating some people who are reluctant to receive care from certain health care providers. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't.

l.rae · Jun 11, 2002

Cheerfuldoer.....Kudos to your charge RN!!!!! We used to have a black Md who moonlighted in our ER.....Some drunk a$$hole refused care from him......he got the same spiel as your pt......but Dr __________ didn't want to take care of him after that! When his IV was ordered..........I nailed him with a 14g needle! Well ...he did fall down....technically that is a trauma, right?

And about people asking your tital, I don't know why, but many times people think I;m the MD..I look young for my age so this is puzzeling to me......the other tital I get labled is lab tech..All the RN's in our ER do the lab draws and so many times we just leave in the IV.all our docs are ok with this.....so when l'm asked are you a lab tech ( or whatever)......l reply......l'm the housekeeper, but l saw this done once on ER!.....LR

Teshiee · Jun 11, 2002

OOh my goodness I rae :-). I can imagine how that MD felt. That is what really gets too me someone refusing to be looked after because of your melanin. It is down right psychotic if you aske me. I am glad Cheerfuldoer you have a great charge nurse! See if nurses stick like that we can get anything we want regardless or race, color, or creed.

jurbyjunk · Jun 12, 2002

Hello from Zimbabwe, where I am on a "working" vacation outside of Plumtree (I'm coming back to Canada this weekend). Every once in a while I'm able to get close to a computer (since one needs electricity) and I "check out" this site. I couldn't resist commenting on this thread.

One of my Post Anesthesia Unit (PAU) (Recovery Room to y'all in the States) co-workers, John, is a nurse from the UK. One day, one of his patients "came to", looked at John, and said "oh doc.....". John, in complete deadpan Brit accent, said "madam, you've mistaken me for a doctor. I am a nurse. If you want nothing done for you, I'll get the doctor. If you want to be taken care of, I'm your man.

I'm an American who lives and works in British Columbia, Canada. I''m from the "great state of Arkansas" (soooey, soooey, soooey).

And believe me, honey, I still twang. One of my favorite "lines" is "just because I talk slow doesn't mean that I am slow".

Years ago, when I first moved to BC, I worked for a bit as general floor staff. One day, I was having a professional discussion with a GP. He used a "big word", then looked at me and said (and I quote), "sorry, I forgot. You're a nurse. You wouldn't understand what I just said".

I looked (slowly) from his face to his feet and back to his face. Sniffed as of there were a bad smell in the room and said, in my best Southern twang, "why Dr Parker-Sutton, my IQ is much larger than my bust size".

I haven't worked general duty in almost 20 years, and I certainly don't get to see GPs (except as patients, LOL). But every once in a while, I see that man in the cafeteria. He still can't look me in the face.

live4today, RN · Jun 12, 2002

Love your sense of humor, jurbyjunk...and John's too. :chuckle :chuckle

jurbyjunk · Jun 12, 2002

Thanks Cheerfuldoer. I also spent 4 years with the USAF, 2 of them in SE Asia, in a war. I used to work with this chest cracker who was always mumbling. Finally I said, "I'm sorry, but I must be hard of hearing. I can't hear you very well when you're talking to my bust and not my face". I eventually married him. LOL