Are you afraid to approach minority staff members? WHY?

[LasVegasRN]

It's been said that racism and discrimination runs both ways. White nurses complain that minorities gather together and exclude them from conversations. Minorities say that they are passed over for "cream of the crop" jobs that are given to white nurses. Staff members report that minority CNA's and support staff give preferential treatment to their own.

IS THIS ALL TRUE?

Yep, it is. But I want to hear from everyone out there. What's your beef? What's the problem? How can it be addressed?

Don't be shy. Don't be skerred. Are we not professionals? Isn't this the place to discuss these sensitive issues? If you don't contribute how are we going to learn from each other?

So, come on. Leave your inhibitions at the door. Don your flaming suits, get out the dictionaries and thesaurus' and let's get SOME DISCUSSION GOING ON THIS.

Maybe, just maybe we'll learn some great things through discussion. :)

[RNinICU]

I was raised in a small town, and went to an all white school. I had very little contact with other ethnic groups until I started working. We have a few Blacks working in every department of our hospital, from Nursing to Dietary, and a few Hispanics, but most of the employees are white. I have never had a problem working with any of them, and never felt uncomfortable delegating to anyone, or accepting delegation from anyone either. This thread has reminded me of several incidents where race was a factor. Please forgive me if this gets too long.

I do a lot of teaching, and frequently speak on health care issues for community groups. One of my coworkers asked me to speak about breast cancer to her Church group. On the day I was speaking, I walked into the Church, and discovered that I was the only white person there. I was completely surprised, as it had never occurred to me that this was an all black Church. After the presentation, my friend asked me if I had been uncomfortable when I had first entered the Church. I had to tell her that I was a little, but more because of the size of the crowd than their color. By the way, this was one of the best audiences I ever had. They were attentive and involved in the speech, and asked a lot of questions after wards. I have gone back to this church to speak several times since, and I am always just as wel received.

Another time, my husband and I were in New York City, and were a little lost. We stopped in a McDonalds to eat, and were the only white people in the restaurant. Everyone there kind of stared at us, but they did not seem hostile, just curious. For the first time I knew what it felt like to be part of a minority.

Right after my daughter graduated from high school, she went to Philadelphia to work, and lived there with her brother for a while. She would frequently come home for the weekend, and often brought a friend with her. One weekend she brought home a black girl. The two of them went to a neighborhood store to pick up a few things, and my daughter came home livid. She told me that she was so humiliated for her freind because the entire time they were in the store the clerk watched them, as if he was afraid they would steal something. Keep in mind that my daughter had often visited this store and was well known there. She left the clerk know what she thought of him, and he told her she should know better than to bring that ------ into the store. My daughter was actually more upset about it than her friend was.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we have come a long way, but still have a lot farther to go. Maybe someday when we make contact with beings from another planet we can stop hating each other because than we will have someone new to hate.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

This thread reminded me of the other day. I had started a new job, orientation, and I sat by a group of four people. When I sat down they started talking in another language which I thought was rather rude. I guess they felt it connected them but it really excluded me. The only person they spoke to in english was the people doing the orientation. They did not say one word to me in English even after I said hello.

renerian

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

Rebel, I don't think anyone is saying that just b/c their brother/uncle/sister-in-law/neighbor is (insert color here) it makes them automatically not a racist, but rather, just explaining this was thier first exposure to a differnt culture. And at first many think a person may be different b/c they are different on the outside, but that after getting to know the person on the inside, that the outside is just a jacket we wear.

I like to think we are all like M&M's. Good on the inside, interesting variaties on the outside.

Guiseppe, I think one huge blended culture is a beautiful thought, but I like variety. The many shades of skin colors, and eye colors. To me, we're still all the same underneath, so we already are blended, we just haven't all figured it out yet!

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by Streamlined

we call it" the race card". I never feel this with Asians or Hispanics or non-English-speaking white people. But the Black Bigots are alive and well playing the race card.

This is a very valid observation and I see it at times too. Do you think its a black person being a bigot or just over-blown preconceived notions? Or, not trusting another race because of negative interactions with them? It's wrong to judge an entire race by what happened with a few, but maybe this is their way of dealing with past unresolved issues. Either way, I don't agree that you should have to be the one to suffer such "hazing", especially if you are doing everything humanly possible to satisfy your patient.

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by hoolahan

And at first many think a person may be different b/c they are different on the outside, but that after getting to know the person on the inside, that the outside is just a jacket we wear.

I like to think we are all like M&M's. Good on the inside, interesting variaties on the outside.

Hoolahan...You are "the bomb" ("Way cool" in teen terms).

[deespoohbear]

I don't care what race, nationality, sex, etc someone is. Doesn't matter to me. What I want is someone who is respectful, does their job, is kind to others. I work in a rural hospital which is mainly Caucasian. But our area does have a rather large Hispanic population and a lot of Amish. I have found out that people can be nice or rude no matter what race, sex, nationality they are. Unfortunately stupidity and ignorance knows no boundaries.

[l.rae]

Originally posted by rebelwaclause

Let me play P*N...I mean the devil for a minute....

I read a lot of posts that imply immunity from prejudices because a Cousin's-Uncle's-Sister's-Dads-Next door neighbor was Black/White/Hispanic/Filipino...whatever. I'm not saying it doesn't matter - Sure, being around another culture does educate you and allow opportunities to become familiar and comfortable. But it doesn't mean you respect or admire the culture. It doesn't mean you automatically stop stereotyping cultures in ways that can be deemed as racist.

Sorry if I sound a little ornery. Just came from another thread dealing with a similar topic. Just wanted to give you something to think about.

Rebel, l am really glad you brought this up..and you make a valid point.......Sometimes l think the flip side of this is the person may be saying, "l don't care for you as a person....has nothing to do with your color....because my ..blahblahblah".....and that is valid too...sometimes ppl are accused of being racist when they just don't like the person....My dgter was accused of racism at work and it just devastated her...she and her friend who works with her and lives next door to her were relating the incident and it was rediculous, however, her friend asked her, "why didn't you tell them you husband isn't white?"...she just kind of shrugged her shoulders and shook her head......

Sleepy, l can kind of relate to your story about your spanish grandma....my little grandson is lilly white and blond hair like my dgtr....but has fetures dead on to his dad....l always tell sil..."he looks like a white you/"................LR

[mark_LD_RN]

where I work now i do not see this as a problem at all while the precentage of black nurses here is small. we do have black supervisors and management one of the best supervisors here is black and we get along very well.

but I have worked at other hospitals where it was not the case i was very uncomfortable talking to or confronting black staff members. because management would totally ignore anything to do with it being afraid of racial accusations I guess.

i do not find that to be the case here we are all treated as equals and we get recognized equally and disciplined equally.

I think the whole key to me is that we all should get equal treatment no matter what gender or race we are.

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

P_RN,

I have updated the post. Soooo sorry it looked more like your name than the name intended. I meant no offense to you.

[TheLionessRN, RN]

after reading all these posts, I do remember a certain unit clerk that I worked with until she quit due to illness...she had been written up a number of times for inaccuracies and serious mistakes in transcription, and for laziness and bad attitude. About 15 years ago, she hired a lawyer and threatened a lawsuit when she was almost fired for some error she made. She accused the hospital of racism, and they didn't fire her out of fear.

That kind of behavior makes me livid, and I don't understand it at all...from either standpoint.

In confronting staff of other color, I never had a problem with that. I did have a problem with directing/asking a CNA who is old enough to be my mother.

Personally, I hate the term African American, because I was raised to be color blind, and the term seems to create a gulf that isn't supposed to be there. We are ALL Americans, of ALL different colors and backgrounds. Once you are a generation removed from a foriegn origin, then you are a native. Regardless of color.

[jude11142]

I work in a LTCF and we have had several problems related to race. One of the saddest situations that I have come across involves a friend of mine who I went to nursing school with. She is African American and I am an Italian American, well heck, I am white and she is black, and the problems that she has had to deal with come from our cna's who are mainly black and/or hispanic. She gets called a "snob", a wanna-be-whitey and other names. I cannot believe it!!!!! Before anyone thinks that she acts better than others or anything like that, she doesn't. She is and acts as a very professional nurse. Other than being a little bit on the quiet side, she is in no way prejudice. I feel so bad for her and not only that but I get offended when others say things like, "wanna be white" or "she acts white" etc.........If I was to say that somebody acts "black" well I bet that hell would break loose. I am sick of hearing acts black, acts white, as if we have to be split into two different kinds of people. Many times we hear of racists being white but in my experience, the racists that I have come across are black. As for minorities many of our ancestors were once minorities. My parents came from Italy and I have been told stories about how the neighborhoods were split into the Italians, the Irish etc.......as a matter of fact, my mom wasn't allowed in her irish friends house. We need to let go of the hatred in this world and learn to live as one. We need to learn from the past and move forward. I suppose that we could go on and on with this subject so sticking the subject of how it affects the workplace, this is what has been going on at ours.

JUDE

[duckie]

I have no difficulty approaching anyone, especailly if it's related to my job situation. I don't usually go up to total strangers but do make a point to be friendly to anyone I make eye contact with. If the day comes I cannot smile and say hi, then that's the day they lay me down! Jesus loves us all, red, yellow, black and whilte, we are precious in His sight!