This may come off as more of a vent, but I see white new grads, some with less nursing and healthcare education than myself, getting jobs, some of them highly coveted specialties. Yet here I am, with a BSN, magna cum laude, three years health care experience, new grad getting pushed aside. I interview well, but apparently not good enough. I am starting to feel bitter and can't help but wonder if my race might play a role. Other black new grads (BSNs too) are having a much harder time getting a job than white new grads.
Any black nurses want to comment on this phenomenon?
I am starting to look outside of my state, but I am not sure where to start. Preferably a place that is diverse.
An employer office staff (home health agency) from the administrator, to the Director of Nurses, as well as almost all of the other office staff is entirely black. However, one day, one of the office staff vented to me about how she was being treated by some of the others. Although also black, apparently (if race was at the heart of the behavior) not the right type of black, because the others came from the same African country and she was a born in America black. There can be all kinds of different levels of discrimination found in the work place.
OP, I feel you. I lived in Germany a lifetime ago and knew a Croatian girl named Jolanda, introducing her to my fellow Americans usually elicited "Yolanda? How'd she get a black girls name?" facepalm!
Yolanda is also a common name of Mexican and Chicana women. A large number of Latinas were named Yolanda when I lived in Los Angeles.
Areas of the Midwest can be horrid, I had an eye opening experience within a small to mid-size town at the holiday party. A co-worker got sloshed and explained to me that she was unsure where to rank me as a Jew. I was rated over the Native Americans (bottom of the ladder) but she was not sure how to place me with regards to someone black, The hilarious thing is I was more whiter looking than her and most of them. That was in the last 10 years. Unbelievable.
Holy smokes! This thread has been pretty eye opening for me. I've lived in a predominantly Caucasian and Christian community since I was a kid. The vast majority of ethnic residents have moved here from big cities or are students at the university. Growing up I could count the African American students at school on one hand and still have fingers to spare. If there are any Latin American people living here now I haven't seen them. I think there is one synagogue in a neighboring city and not a single mosque that I am aware of. My point is that I've never witnessed this horrible behavior first hand, but probably only because there have not been enough people outside of the white christian demographic for me to notice any negativity they may have encountered.
An employer office staff (home health agency) from the administrator, to the Director of Nurses, as well as almost all of the other office staff is entirely black. However, one day, one of the office staff vented to me about how she was being treated by some of the others. Although also black, apparently (if race was at the heart of the behavior) not the right type of black, because the others came from the same African country and she was a born in America black. There can be all kinds of different levels of discrimination found in the work place.
I'm not arguing that doesn't exist, but white privilege is real, especially in a white woman's profession that is nursing. Being black is a whammy. I have a BSN, PCA experience, great grades and references, yet it white new grads with ASN get picked before me. ********.
I have a VERY ethnic name, there's no way around it, along with my last name being a Ethnic Jewish last name-although I am black-so my name SCREAMS, ethnic; seriously, people hesitate to pronounce my name, although it's popular in some circles, people balk at my name, but somehow, get past that and look at my credentials, listen to my voice and find a way to get me into the door to interview me and respect my credentials and think that I could be a fit in a position that they have in mind.
I will tell you, I haven't really have a hard time getting a job in a nurse-glut area; but my only caveat is as long as it's not a dump, I accepted a job.
I had a moment when I was in the height of looking for a job, I almost felt that my ethnicity was blocking me from getting a job, that certain places were looking for a certain "look", but then I had to stop myself; I knew what the reality was that there were programs that were closely aligned with hospitals so they picked from there first; then to the other schools, including my program.
I looked as far as Florida and was willing to locate to get my experience; but then a job opened up closer to home with a higher acuity, then my current job was through another interview and was through networking.
The mainstay in finding a acute care job was to keep looking for a job; I never stopped looking for a job.
The only thing I will suggest is to be willing to hustle to get a job, locate if you even need to-the nursing world can be your oyster, even if you have to start "somewhere"...
The only thing I will suggest is to be willing to hustle to get a job, locate if you even need to-the nursing world can be your oyster, even if you have to start "somewhere"...
Here is the thing with relocating while black....
Many of the states with a low % of nurses(North Dakota for example) are not diverse.
How would a black nurse feel comfortable in North Dakota?
This is why i really do not understand the nurses who say relocate if you have too.
I'm sorry that we're in 2015 and still dealing with race issues. I am so grateful to live in California when it comes to matters like this. I'm sorry to the OP and hope she can find employment soon. Don't give up!
I think that it depends on where you live. I am black, and I was one of the first in my class to get a job after graduation. I am also one of the one 3 of us who got our "dream job" without having to leave for ND or someplace rural. Most of my classmates ended up in Med surg or oncology
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I am so grateful to live in California when it comes to matters like this.
I am a black female who was born and raised in southern CA and lived there until 2005. While living there I experienced discrimination in housing, hiring practices, and other aspects of life. I also experienced racism starting in early childhood that became increasingly worse as I got older.
But here's the caveat: the discrimination was inflicted by another racial-ethnic minority group (read: the Spanish-speaking group that comprises California's majority population).
So i was sitting here and reading your post and I have experienced the same thing.
My situation is worse because I am a black male. Originally from Connecticut and currently residing in OHIO, I consider myself to be mainstream with a white sounding name, speak proper English, two languages, golf, ski/snowboard and have friends from all over. I graduated at the top of my class and even won the top clinical award but had problems landing a job. I would get interviews but once I walked in the door the nurse manager would do a double take I would never get a call back. I worked in HR before going to nursing school so my interview skills are pretty good. When I worked in HR i could not help but to see that most managers hired employees based on the fact that the were able to relate to them. For example, if a manager never had worked with an AA male/female and isn't able to relate to them it is very unlikely that they will be hired even if they are qualified. I really felt like crap when several white new grads from my class who barley passed were hired in a critical care setting a few weeks after nursing school. I eventually was hired in a city outside of ohio that was more diverse.
This may come off as more of a vent, but I see white new grads, some with less nursing and healthcare education than myself, getting jobs, some of them highly coveted specialties. Yet here I am, with a BSN, magna cum laude, three years health care experience, new grad getting pushed aside. I interview well, but apparently not good enough. I am starting to feel bitter and can't help but wonder if my race might play a role. Other black new grads (BSNs too) are having a much harder time getting a job than white new grads.
Any black nurses want to comment on this phenomenon?
I am starting to look outside of my state, but I am not sure where to start. Preferably a place that is diverse.
I live in the South. I have not seen Blacks have a harder time getting a job, nor have I seen them treated badly at work. I've seen incompetence get thrown out the door, but it had nothing to do with race, and occurred across the spectrum.
Maybe being Black IS a hang-up. Some people do care about that sort of thing, and to deny it is to be a bit blind. If that is the case, I would go where it WON'T be a problem.
Ask yourself this...
...would I want to work for someone who hired me/didn't hire me just because of my skin color?
I'm not Black, but my answer to that is "No". By not hiring you, they are doing you a favor in the long run. Find a job that wants you as much as you want it.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
An employer office staff (home health agency) from the administrator, to the Director of Nurses, as well as almost all of the other office staff is entirely black. However, one day, one of the office staff vented to me about how she was being treated by some of the others. Although also black, apparently (if race was at the heart of the behavior) not the right type of black, because the others came from the same African country and she was a born in America black. There can be all kinds of different levels of discrimination found in the work place.