African American Nurses in NICU

peaceful2100, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2004

Ok, I am not looking to cause any trouble but I know plenty of black nurses but MOST are in Med-Surg. I am a African-American Nurse and I have been trying and trying and trying to get into the NICU. I have applied at different hospitals. I graduated back in May 2003 Last year out of my nursing school class and one other school the 6 girls who got the position were ALL white at one of the hospitals I applied for and the other hospital I applied for ALL were white.

Some places I think it is hard for African-American nurses to get a position and get passed over because of the color even if they are a strong canadiate.

I have recently joined the National Association of Neonatal Nurses to see if that would increase my chances of getting a position this spring in the NICU. I am trying again.

I seriously want to do NICU, that is why I went to school, I am passionate about the area. I have been trying to find things in relation to look at.

I asked about the Nursery back before graduating in May 2003 and the recruiter told me they did not hire new grads into the nursery. I was NOT even given the chance for an interview Well, 3 days after that I found out this girl in my class got hired into the Nursey and she could advanced to the NICU later if she wanted and she was white. She inquired about that position AFTER I did. I was so hurt and frustrated by that.

I have talked to other African-American nurses who have had similar encounters. One African-American Nurse I work with on the med-surg floor has been trying to get into the ER for 2 years. She has 4 years of experience under her belt but they have hired new grads and overlooked her. I guess it all depends on where you are and who you talk to. I don't want anything at all because of my color but I do want equal treatment, I wanted to be looked at as compentent like any one else, I do NOT want to be looked at by the color of my skin. No ONE rather they are African-American, Asian, Hispanic, or White, male or female should have to go through ANY of that.

prmenrs, RN · Feb 16, 2004

I don't know what area of the country you are in, but, I must be naive or something. I can't figure why a hospital, human resource dep't, or nurse manager could or would exclude someone solely on the basis of race in today's market.

Most university-based teaching hospitals would be especially stupid to do something like that. Most of them also like having new grads--it's much easier to take someone fresh out of school and teach them neonatal nursing than to take a nurse that's done adult nursing for any length of time, help them UNlearn adult nursing and THEN teach them neonatal nursing.

Apply to every Level III nursery in your area, esp try to find a larger unit w/a new grad program. Ask to speak to the Nurse Manager. or write her/him a letter. Ask to job shadow. Attend COntinuing ed programs; subscribe to the Neonatal journals. Put these things in your resume.

I will pray that you get what you want, and wish you the very best.

angel337, MSN, RN · Feb 17, 2004

i am the only a.a. nurse in the E.D. where i work and it doesn't bother me at all. it truly depends on where you work. in some of the surrounding hospitals in my area there are more caucasian nurses than a.a.'s and vice versa. i really don't think that the nursing profession has a lot of room for discriminating, mainly because you need diversity to put up with the demands of our ever changing america. historically, caucasians make up more than 85% of nurses in the u.s., but that is changing rapidly where i live. unfortunately, people don't stay in nursing long enough to see the change, but some diversity is better than none. relax, we all belong. :)

Rosepink · Feb 17, 2004

Belive me I am relaxed! I love NICU nursing, if I did not I would not have contine for the last 14 years. What I am trying to say is

1. I feel the black inner city families would benifit from more black nurses in the NICU

2. Young teen mom with babues in the NICU would see some positive role models.

I have not seen many black nurses apply to NICU so I do not think in my city it is a problem of not getting hired because of skin color. I put this thread out because I just want to talk with othe black NICU nurses. :chuckle :balloons:

NICUbabyRN · Feb 18, 2004

I think part of it may be location. I work with many.

HarleyDivaRN · Feb 19, 2004

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this is just my opinion of the situation ......i am a (jamaican) black nurse and i work in the nicu but i did not have a problem getting in, the first nicu i was hired as a new grad....once i got in the nicu i felt the racism and the divisions of how different ones were treated due to skin color. i found that the aa nurse as well as the hispanic or latino nurses were treated kind of bad but i work in a diverse environment in the nicu i am in now with filipinos, aa nurses, hispanic, white and carribean decent.....and issues do come up fom time to time but it is mostly with the filipino nurses......i hope one day nurses can learn to not eat their young and bind together as one big band and i think the nursing field could gain a lot if we did. :)

mom and nurse · Feb 19, 2004

I really believe it is the location that is important. If you lived in Chicago, you would probably find many African American nurses in the NICU. But it may not be so in places like Ohio. :rolleyes:

angel337, MSN, RN · Feb 19, 2004

i'm just trying to figure out what is the issue with a.a. nurses in the NICU? all a.a.'s have all dealt with racism on some level so i don't see the need in going over it again and again. race is only an issue if you make it one.

peaceful2100, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2004

I agree race is an issue if you make it one. I am not going to give up until I get what I want though. That is what I decided. They hire new nurses into the NICU every May and December from my Understanding. So a few months prior to those two months I will be trying and trying. Right now I am limited to one hospital system because I have a contract to fulfill. I have a contract at a hospital system until June 2005 and if I am not in the NICU by then I know 2 other hospitals in my area I can go without ANY problems.

Brownbetty · Feb 20, 2004

Hi everyone,

I am an African-American nurse who works in a Level III/IV NICU in Maryland. I work in a NICU that has approximately 80 nurses who are part of regular staff (ie - not agency). There are 11 African-American NICU nurses including myself. That does not include the 2 African American females who are Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. The majority of nurses on the unit are Caucasian adn there are other nurses of various nationalities from Middle Eastern, to Hispanic etc. We are somewhat diverse....we have a little bit of everything :)

I must be jaded working in my NICU. When I went to the NANN conference in Palm Springs, CA last October (in attendance from my NICU 3 African-American Nurses ) there was a African-American Nurse who had never worked with any nurses of her race much less saw one in Tennesse where she works. She was stunned when she found out we came from the same unit.

Rosepink · Feb 20, 2004

Brown Betty I am so happy for you! I am just glad to know somewhere in the USA there are some African American (or as I call myself )& Black nurses in the NICU(. And by the way to anyone who is reading this and wants to know my 3 best friends are Caucasian.)

HarleyDivaRN · Feb 24, 2004

Peaceful 2100 I am glad you are keeping with what is important to you.......and I wish you well in your endeavors.....I love working in the NICU and I basically try to get along with everyone.....life is to short to worry about things you will never be able to change........you can only change yourself and that is what I do on a regular basis a reality check on myself......Chicago is a multi- cultural city with many people in it and I like that too....I love cultural atmospheres it gives flavor to our NICU........I love taking care of the lil tiny ones and I pray I have found my niche in nursing for now..........Please keep us informed as to when you get in the NICU....