I'm a fairly new nurse (almost a year) and accepted a FT position at a rehab facility three months ago. This is my first job and the place is seems pretty heavy in terms of workload. At orientation I was the only Filipino in the class, the rest were African Americans of different ethnicities (sp?) and one Peruvian woman. We get a speech from one of the managers saying that the place is hard and you need to work just as hard, I understand that. Then we have this lady which was on the administrative end and she comes in with a chip on her shoulder. She basically talks about how the places adheres to certain policies like foreign languages are forbidden when working (I understand the need for this) but then she looks and points to me and asks "Are you a Filipino?" I nod yes and she goes talking about how the Filipino nurses keep speaking "Filipino" during work hours, mind you she only said this to me and not the other people.
Then another day I was in a dining room eating lunch and there were a group of Filipinos talking sorta loud in Tagalog and in the elevator after eating one of the nurses I was talking to just mentioned, "Oh man Filipinos are so loud in the dining room". I've also heard side talk about how Filipinos only take care of their own and won't care if their other colleagues are written up. The staffing there is about slightly below 60% Filipinos but they are around my parent's generation's age and have some positions in middle management so maybe thats why there is some ire.
Am I and others being discriminated or am I just too thin skinned?
Used to drive me nuts when I started my job, and all the philipinnos spoke to each other in tagalog?....I always thought they were talking about me (thin skinned, i was) I don't mind anymore.
It sounds like you are not a minority at work- 60-70% of staff is Filipino. I think only a language that very one can understand should be used during direct patient care. I was doing shift report back when I was on orientation and my preceptor and the night nurse continually communicated in a language that neither myself or the pt could understand. .. She also would do this with aides during the day and the pts didn't seem to appreciate it too much.
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
Ummm...she POINTED to you in a large group at orientation and asked if you were Filipino and started talking about how Filipino nurses keep speaking Filipino during working hours? Yes, I would consider that unprofessional at least. Discriminatory? I am sure that the best lawyers in this country could make a case for that, but in the meantime, just brush it off.
One place my classmate worked in recently had either Joint Commission or the State Health Department come in and caught staff members speaking foreign languages and their administration is trying to drive home that workers can't be speaking in foreign languages. You said Filipinos made up less then 60% so that's a sizable amount of people and that's what the other people are bound to hear a lot so maybe that's why the Tagalog complaints are happening.
To single you out of the crowd because you are Filipino is unprofessional. To say something about Filipinos being loud in the lunchroom is a rude comment to make. Both are culturally unsensative. Neither one is discrimination though.
I'm not sure if the label discrimination is correct but these people are certainly being rude and disrespectful. To blatently point you out and ask your ethnicity? Then talk about "those people"? First of all, it's none of her business what your background is. And if there is a policy that no language other than English be spoken (which how ridiculous is that?) or just the language she pointed out? Well, maybe I've talked myself into it being discrimination haha
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
As a nurse i have enjoyed working with many capable and bright Filipinos, but, yes they become very comfortable very quickly in their professional environments, and they have no problem speaking tagalog or ilocano in front of anyone. And, yes, they can be quite loud (or shall i say, exuberant) and over the top. However, folks who speak Spanish at work do the same thing. And, of course, those who speak English do the same. However, this is an English speaking country and the majority of PATIENTS speak English so if we are all going to be loud or energetic with our speech at least we can do it in a language that the MAJORITY understand. You happened to be the only Filipino in the room while the management was mentioning problems with Filipinos speaking other than English. You mentioned African Americans in your post. The manager does not have to ask them if they are Filipino because she knows they are not and she has not heard them speaking tagolog or ilocano. Possibly she has heard them speak ebonics. Next time when you feel slighted let management know that your patients and coworkers also are annoyed by folks who speak ebonics--that they cannot understand that particular lingo. Lol. Lighten up--no pun intended--and make a few friends of all colors at your workplace.
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
I asked my aunt about it since she's an seasoned veteran of the floor and she said to ignore it because that's just how some people just are. One of my classmates said it was sorta wrong I got singled out like that but she gave me advice to be thick skinned in nursing in order to survive, and I plan to adhere to it.
I would wait to go on the offensive until someone actually does something in the workplace to harm you. People talk smack all the time, that doesn't mean we should give what they say any more importance than it really deserves.
I hate it when employers say, "we have to hire 10% of minority" and there's a good chance for you. When I heard this, holycrap, I felt so bad. I so wanted to say, go back and learn your freaking history because America was discovered recently, so don't forget that your parents, grandparents, grand grand grand parents....arrived from other countries. I never had a problem with this, but I always hear it.
glutton4punishment
142 Posts
Agree with the above.
Used to drive me nuts when I started my job, and all the philipinnos spoke to each other in tagalog?....I always thought they were talking about me (thin skinned, i was) I don't mind anymore.