Race relations and nursing enviroments

[bizzymum919]

I have been told by a rumour that there are racial tensions between the black and white nurses and that the black nurses were forced to leave some hospitals due to the hostile conditions. Is there any truth to this and how are the racial relations in your area in regards to the hospital/healthcare working environment?

[latone]

oops i mean equipped,my best experience was in the isle of man,not for skills but working environment,they have a brand new hosp with everything and the people are much nicer than on the mainland i guess they are less stressed

wales was nice also people always ask me if i'm welsh :) :) (i'm black) but alot of my fellow trinis here in the uk get ask the same thing apparently our accents are close.

[auroranae]

Houston TX has some of the best food places, but the racism is even unbearable for other Texans.

BizzyMum-

I am from the US, living in the US and working in the US as a nurse. I am in Maryland... a Southern State. I have visited my family living in GA and SC and friends in Tx... the predjudice is not just for skin color. I am considered a Northerner. I am caucasian and have never really paid much attention to where someone was from or their color. It is not something one can change and is as much a part of them as their eye color. Everyone is a package. You either accept that package or you don't. In our house that is what I teach my children. You do not see a color or a religion- you see before you a person who is a color or is a religion. The person comes first and who that person is is what is important.

My sister has been living in the South for nearly 5 years and she is still referred to as "The Northerner". A very sad thing for anyone of any color or religion or ethnic background. To be seen as a "something" rather than a "person". I would hate to think it is something that would prevent you from going home to your family and friends. It is a long way from the US to the UK to visit for holidays. I hope that you find it is not as prevalent as you have heard.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Everyone is speaking about how the Philipino nurses were welcomed in their area, but are they just as friendly to Black Britons?

:balloons:

I think in general Britain is very welcoming to outsiders of whatever colour, but of course there are hotspots. I lived in an area of the northwest (the Rossendale valley) where I saw Asians verbally abused in the street, on, buses etc. and heard unacceptable racist remarks from nurses I worked with. i always challenged racism whenever I came accross it, but sadly it was engrained in the culture of this region. Strange, as nearby is multi-cultural Manchester which is a great city, whatever your race.

In sixteen years of working in London I only ever witnessed one racial incident, and that was a case of black on white racism between colleagues. I think London is one of the most truly mixed, cosmopolitan cities in in the world. Of course problems exist, like everywhere, but in general it's fine whatever colour you are.

I now live in Paris, where in three years I've never witnessed any trouble along racial lines. There are areas of rural France where intolerance exists, but in general it's fine here. The whole FN/Le Pen thing has given France the reputation abroad of being rather racist, but my experience is actually the opposite. There are large numbers of black and arab people here, and in general communities are mixed and relations are good.

[Shapeless]

David, may I ask...............

Does it make a difference to your acceptance if you speak french?

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

David, may I ask...............

Does it make a difference to your acceptance if you speak french?

Yes, I think so. Though when I arrived here over three years ago I had only intermediate French and still didn't feel particularly excluded. They do object to anglophones who come here and expect everybody to be fluent in English just for them. They are perhaps lass tolerant of the immigrant that's been here 50 years and still only speaks Arabic, whereas in Britain we'll put up hospital signs in Asian languages etc. The French can't understand anybody coming to live here not making an attempt to learn the language, and it's a basic requirement if you want to take French nationalty. They're accused of chauvanism over this, but personally I think it's reasonable.

The French are very defensive about their language. They've seen it slip from being 'the' international language, the language of diplomats to being a very minor player on the world stage, and they're aware it's in regression internationally as English takes over. If you, as a foreigner, show interest in learning their language, they are flattered and generally love you for it.

I will say that when I first arrived here and did agency, I was never greeted with the eyes that looked up to the sky etc. Everybody in those early days was welcoming and helpful, whereas in London I witnessed many an agency nurse treated badly because they were "just off the boat"