"No nurses of color....."

[Queen2u]

What in the world are we supposed to do when a patient makes it known that they "don't want any nurses of color taking care of them"?

There was a patient on my unit last week who mentioned this (I have no idea who she told this to, administration, the doctors, I have no idea who she notified). She was in her 20s and was not on the unit for mental illness issues at all, she had an OBGYN related surgery and was not under any sedative medications, she was able-bodied with full mental capacity! Thank goodness for the patient none of the nurses (all of whom but 2 out of 50-something nurses are people of color) knew about this patient's odd request until she was discharged from the hospital.

What I really wanted to do and say were unprofessional. What are we supposed to do when someone comes to hospital with this request?

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

This whole 'race' thing is just old, played out and stupid.

That pretty much sums it up.... Last I checked, we're all part of the "human race" so in what way, exactly, are we different?

[CrazierThanYou]

I agree with the last two posts. I don't think I would want to take care of someone who didn't want me taking care of them.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

"this whole 'race' thing is just old, played out and stupid. i don't care. it just absolutely ticks me off that folks in such a vulnerable position would literally spit on those who try to help them, regardless.

that's the rub.

talk about a cold-hearted low-life!"

amen to that!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I work in a skilled nursing facility in a predominantly white area. We have some staff of color and some gay/lesbian staff. Only one of our long term residents has a problem with these staff so we avoid assigning those staff to him when possible. His behavior is of course unacceptable, but to his defense he is from an era when AA were generally referred to by names that we now consider derogatory and most gay/lesbian people were not at all open about their sexual orientation.

[royhanosn]

as long as they do their work, but when they start bad mouthing other colours, thats where I draw the line. Patients are sick, deal with the illness, whether they are black, white, brown. They have the same sicknesses that we white boys/girls do. The racials slurs start somewhere...as previous posts.

Now lets get back to work.