Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

Originally Posted by nursey2008

Hello,

I've been working now for 10 months in Ireland both in a nursing home and later as agency nurse in hospitals. I must say I generally have been very sad about quite a few incidents with fellow nurses especially coming from the philippines. I gotta be fair. there have been some who have been really good colleagues but in quite a few wards I saw filipino staff teaming up against european nurses. They speak their own language with each other at work, treat fellow european nurses not very nicely, in at least 8 different wards i have witnesses filipino staff teaming up in order to make european staff look bad.
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i don't understand what you mean by teaming up against european nurses....if this is really happening,this is a case of bullying in any other language.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

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This story has been told many times over about two Filipina RNs speaking in Tagalog, rudely I must say, just outside a patient's room in a hospital here in San Francisco, California.

After a lenghty conversation it was time to say their goodbyes, one of the Filipina RNs said to the other: "Sige na 'day". (roughly translated: So long lady.)

Minutes later the patient who heard the two nurses' conversation in Tagalog was heard crying loudly. Nurses went to the crying patient's room to find out what was bothering the patient.

The patient, while still crying, told the nurses that she was "going to die".

When asked why she thought that she was going to die, the patient told the nurses who went to the crying patient's room that she just heard one nurse tell another nurse that: "She's gonna die!"

You see, "Sige na 'day" was heard as "She's gonna die!"

This story, whether true or not, was told in many continuing education classes and nursing meetings by Caucasian nursing supervisors.

My message is, we are all professional nurses, let's act professionally. Speak English in front of English speaking patients and staff. That's showing respect and consideration for others, then I believe that others will respect Filipino nurses more in return.

Indeed.

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Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

Originally Posted by mauiboy

i don't understand what you mean by teaming up against european nurses....if this is really happening,this is a case of bullying in any other language.

teaming up against other nurses doesnt have to do anything with the language issue. I am now just briefly summarizing what I have witnessed very extremely in two wards and to a moderate extend in several other wards (so when I say "they" i dont speak about all filipina/o nurses in general but about filipina/o nurses i worked with personally who showed these patterns)
Teaming up: They help each other out at work, are very kind with each other. When dealing with european nurses they went as far as putting traps to european staff and once a european nurse made an error due to this trap he/she was reported to the nurse manager by the same people setting a trap while they made mistakes themselves and helped each other to cover these. Like this they wanted to look better in front of the nurse manager (who in fact is aware of what is going on)
I believe this can be called compensation of feelings of inferiority. And yes THIS BEHAVIOUR is soooo inferior!! Hasnt been THIS extreme everywhere but there have been similar patterns in quite a lot of the wards I worked.

I am sure there are nurses from the filippines reading this who are appalled and feel bad for members of their own nationality acting like this. And nurses like you are welcome to work anywhere and will be appreciated by european/american/australian (or whatever..) hospitals.

But to be frank, nurses (no matter where they r from) who go to other countries and act like this deserve to be fired from their job and be sent back to their country.

I am a foreign nurse myself here in ireland being from germany.. so i am aware of some of the challenges, and it is great once you work with fellow nationals. A foreign country has been kind to us, offers us a job and a certain security and we have to show ourselves appreciative!! ...And we are still guests!

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

This kind of behaviour is nothing short of reprehensible. Quite frankly, regardless of nationality, anyone who does this should be fired. Immediately. This does not only put patients at risk, it's also bad for morale.
People who do this have no place in the nursing profession.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

Originally Posted by pilgrim

This kind of behaviour is nothing short of reprehensible. Quite frankly, regardless of nationality, anyone who does this should be fired. Immediately. This does not only put patients at risk, it's also bad for morale.
People who do this have no place in the nursing profession.

What? instantly fired!gulp

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

I am in no way going to "generalize" either, as I also have some great Filipino friends/former classmates. However, I too, have been privy to this behavior...mostly in my clinicals (about 90% of my classmates were Filipino...I am not). At most of my clinical sites there were a lot of Filipino nurses and they in a way took under their "wing" the Filipino classmates...they would speak in their native language in the setting and call them "ate" as well. At time I felt very uncomfortable and "excluded". A handful of interviews I have even gone on, interviewed with Filipino DON's, my former classmates (Filipino) with less experience than I have, have gotten hired around the same time, and I was not (could me be and my interviewing style). Also, my mom is an RN and works with Filipino nurses and they are always "banding" together. My mom will make a compliment to one of them about something and they won't even look at her....and my mom is a nice person. I don't get it. My mom feels uncomfortable so she ends up leaving the room. Again, I have some great Filipino friends, so this is in no way to "bash" anyone, just sharing some personal experiences. Please help me understand, if anything.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

It happens in all cultures, and I live in an area where there are a lot of latins who speak Spanish in front of others. Mostly those are people who barely know English. But it's disrespectful when you speak your native tongue in front of others who don't speak your language. What I have done is when I come across with someone who predominately speaks Spanish, I ALWAYS include the patient in the conversation, I translate what the other person is telling me. Even if it's something personal I will always translate.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

I've also heard where the Filipinos will as one would put it "band" against each other. I was speaking with a fellow Filipino co-worker and I was helping her out because she needed help. She was overworked and had more patients than the other Filipinos. She preceeded to tell me that they descriminate against her because she's not Ilocano. At that time I had no idea that there was any type of segregation, and I told her I didn't believe her. She told me the situation and showed me how they all stick together and they exclude the ones from Manila or something to that nature. I felt bad for her and I told her to complain to the DON. Her response to me was "I can't, she's Ilocano too". That poor CNA was stuck. Maybe someone can elaborate on this type of situation where they "band" against each other.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

I honestly don't think there's a valid or sound enough reason to explain that kind of behaviour. That "pack mentality" smacks of immaturity, insecurity, even. I guess those people don't feel confident enough with their professional and interpersonal skills, that they have a need for each other's protection in the real world.
One other thing that I think they lack, is the preparation for a thorough understanding of the culture of the host country, and a serious grasp of how they're supposed to conduct themselves as guest workers. It's not enough that they do the job that they're supposed to do, what they're being paid to do. Just as important, is how they conduct themselves as representatives of the Philippines in another country.
There's a painful twitch in my heart whenever I come across this kind of observation about our people. But, there are good and bad people in every country in the world. Sadly, it's the bad people that make more impact in everyone's mind.

Re: to my fellow filipina/filipino nurses working abroad

Our unions have been attending grievances filed by staff over the use of any language other than English or French in the workplace. The case is usually lost and the nurse in question disciplined. Tagalog, Russian and Hindi speakers are the issues. Patients and co-workers just don't like feeling isolated.