Discrimination in PT care??

TEXASWAG, MSN, RN · Jul 16, 2016

I was working in Austin as a travel nurse, night shift. A patient called me and the tech the "n" word. It was the night shift so the patient really had no other choice but us to take care of her. I did not tell the house supervisor because she didn't state that she wanted another nurse. So, the tech and I just went on about our business. We kept her clean and turned during our shift.

Yes, it did bother me but it wasn't the first time I've been called a "n". At the current hospital that I work at, I really don't believe that there's a protocol for patients who racially prefer their own to care for them. If that's the case then they need to hire thier own private nurse. The environment at my job is very mutli-racial and multi-ethnic. If a patient refused someone of another race or gender, they would not have anyone to care for them. We have good mix of men, women, and every racial group on the face of the earth.

xdrowe · Jul 16, 2016

I was working in Austin as a travel nurse, night shift. A patient called me and the tech the "n" word. It was the night shift so the patient really had no other choice but us to take care of her. I did not tell the house supervisor because she didn't state that she wanted another nurse. So, the tech and I just went on about our business. We kept her clean and turned during our shift.
Yes, it did bother me but it wasn't the first time I've been called a "n". At the current hospital that I work at, I really don't believe that there's a protocol for patients who racially prefer their own to care for them. If that's the case then they need to hire thier own private nurse. The environment at my job is very mutli-racial and multi-ethnic. If a patient refused someone of another race or gender, they would not have anyone to care for them. We have good mix of men, women, and every racial group on the face of the earth.

Thank you for sharing this information. I am glad that you handled the situation professionally. It is good to know that sometimes these issues arise in our reality.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 16, 2016

Welcome to that reality then!

I experienced it, from patients, other nurses, and, most of all, from nursing management. The reason is that I am an immigrant (with US nursing education) and speak with rather strong accent. I also saw multiple other nurses, aides and other health care professionals from all ranges openly discriminated against due to their race, skin color, national origin, perceived things from above (like a nurse who had her speech changed due to surgery started to be "fired" as a "foreigner"), etc. Unfortunately, in 99% of cases these ridiculous and questionably legal requirements were satisfied for the sake of All Mighty Customer Service.

My way out was finding a unit where my strengths as a nurse were appreciated and needed and where there is a good share of immigrant nurses. I do not much care about patients and their prejustices which I cannot help anyway, but in my unit, if a patient/family behave any close to "n" word or anything like it, they will face open talk first and discharge in 24 hours second, vent or not. I just became very careful and do not give out any personal information at all till I establish good rapport with the patient/family. "Preferences" expressed politely/within reason are usually satisfied unless there is an emergency like a code, "impossible" IV, provider preference, etc. It is still unpleasant, but modern medicine did not master the art of brain transplant just yet - and, in any case, I would not offer mine for anybody so much bigoted.

Otherwise, subtly, nicely and with all due respect and exclusive politeness letting The Powers know that you know your rights, not afraid to use them, and, most importantly, know your resources and connections works pure miracles.

xdrowe · Jul 16, 2016

Welcome to that reality then!
I experienced it, from patients, other nurses, and, most of all, from nursing management. The reason is that I am an immigrant (with US nursing education) and speak with rather strong accent. I also saw multiple other nurses, aides and other health care professionals from all ranges openly discriminated against due to their race, skin color, national origin, perceived things from above (like a nurse who had her speech changed due to surgery started to be "fired" as a "foreigner"), etc. Unfortunately, in 99% of cases these ridiculous and questionably legal requirements were satisfied for the sake of All Mighty Customer Service.
My way out was finding a unit where my strengths as a nurse were appreciated and needed and where there is a good share of immigrant nurses. I do not much care about patients and their prejustices which I cannot help anyway, but in my unit, if a patient/family behave any close to "n" word or anything like it, they will face open talk first and discharge in 24 hours second, vent or not. I just became very careful and do not give out any personal information at all till I establish good rapport with the patient/family. "Preferences" expressed politely/within reason are usually satisfied unless there is an emergency like a code, "impossible" IV, provider preference, etc. It is still unpleasant, but modern medicine did not master the art of brain transplant just yet - and, in any case, I would not offer mine for anybody so much bigoted.
Otherwise, subtly, nicely and with all due respect and exclusive politeness letting The Powers know that you know your rights, not afraid to use them, and, most importantly, know your resources and connections works pure miracles.

Thank you for sharing your story. I am sorry that you had that experience with the previous unit, but I am glad that you found a unit who appreciates your individuality. :up:

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2016

I am in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. For the sake of simplicity, I will simply mention the most recent incident.

During the holiday season of 2014, a patient called me a black ___ (the female dog word that rhymes with 'witch' and starts with 'B') and told me to "go back to Africa." I informed him I was born and raised in the US, as were the preceding six generations of my family.

I proceeded to end the conversation and turned his care over to another nurse who was the same race as him. Even though he did not request another nurse, I refused to be verbally abused by someone who does not want me there.

There's no protocol for these occurrences. Although these instances sting your psyche, you must maintain your composure and not engage the patient. In addition, document as if your life depended on it. These types of patients have the tendency to lie and/or undermine what really happened.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2016

I once had a rehab pt ask a CNA something to the effect of are you stupid and can you even speak English?? This woman was a fairly recent immigrant from northeastern Africa and did have a thick accent, but her English was fine. Not to mention, she was a really good CNA, a hard worker, and one of the nicest people you could meet. (In fact, she works in environmental services where I work now, and I told her to list me as a reference if she wants to apply for a CNA job. I also did a cold recommend of her to my manager.)

I told her she cannot speak to CNA like that and that we are all trying to help her. She liked me for some reason, and said "oh honey, don't put yourself in her league." To which I replied, "Oh I'm proud if I can be in her league." :laugh:

Early in my career we had a frequent flyer who said absolutely vile things to black staff. I'm not even going to say, they were so vile. The charge nurses made sure not to assign any black RNs/CNAs to her.....not because they were pandering to her, but to spare staff that abuse. I wish they would have d/c'ed her like KatieMI's hospital does. Pretty soon after that though, her team refused to order any more IV narcotics, so she stopped getting herself admitted all the time.

Many more people have expressed a preference for female caregivers, but I don't consider that discrimination. It's usually to protect their own modesty -- not because of a hate/fear/distrust of men.

Unfortunately, ugly people exist, and ugly people get sick. :no:

abundantjoy07, RN · Jul 17, 2016

Of course. People can be really nasty and I unfortunately have met almost all of them. lol. You learn a lot about personalities being a nurse. People are incredibly racist and sexist. Horrible. I just cuss them out in my mind and do what I have to do. :sneaky:I don't spend extra time in the rooms either.

xdrowe · Jul 17, 2016

Of course. People can be really nasty and I unfortunately have met almost all of them. lol. You learn a lot about personalities being a nurse. People are incredibly racist and sexist. Horrible. I just cuss them out in my mind and do what I have to do. :sneaky:I don't spend extra time in the rooms either.

Are you speaking on personal experience, or things you have witnessed? If personal, do you mind sharing one of your experiences? I am curious about the sexism side of things, being that many have touched base on racism.

Ruas61, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2016

I have been called 'a dirty Jew' and had the resident refuse my services. All right by me...

I have had a co-worker make statements like- "Jews are shrewd business people" and the comment was in the tone of being stereotyped and not complimentary. Same person went on to say 'they don't look gay'. This came from a Filipino.

I have had black residents accuse me of discriminating against them because I have needed to follow doctor's orders in terms of medications, diet or facility protocol that was not to their liking.

I have been called nasty names for being white, female and overweight at times too.

Humanity as a whole can be very unkind at times. Illness fuels it.

There is more goodness in the world than ugliness. It is just hard to see it lately.

xdrowe · Jul 18, 2016

I have been called 'a dirty Jew' and had the resident refuse my services. All right by me...
I have had a co-worker make statements like- "Jews are shrewd business people" and the comment was in the tone of being stereotyped and not complimentary. Same person went on to say 'they don't look gay'. This came from a Filipino.
I have had black residents accuse me of discriminating against them because I have needed to follow doctor's orders in terms of medications, diet or facility protocol that was not to their liking.
I have been called nasty names for being white, female and overweight at times too.
Humanity as a whole can be very unkind at times. Illness fuels it.
There is more goodness in the world than ugliness. It is just hard to see it lately.

I am so sorry that you experienced such adversity, but I am glad you remained the strong person that you are. :up:

Buyer beware, BSN · Jul 18, 2016

Have any medical professionals ever experienced a patient or family members that had a preference for who cared for them? You know.. like that episode of Grey's Anatomy when a patient refused Miranda (African-American doc) from giving them care? Is this very real? If so, can you share your story? Did it bother you? Is there a protocol for events such as this?

And now for a tale from bizzaro land.

I worked with a doctor in an ER down South. He was an MIT graduate. He was a great doc with a wonderful sense of humor. Everybody loved and respected him. One night a patient came in complaining of the usual this or that. So it just so happened that when this aforementioned doctor came in to see the patient, the patient said to me "I don't want this doctor because he looks like he rode in on the short bus." This term I later found out was a derogatory one that referred to learning challenged individuals who often rode a truncated school bus to school for their special needs instruction.. Well the theatre of absurd denoument to this story is that in this case both patient and doctor happened to be, you got it, black.

I can affirm that I have been in situations where (1) white people have said "I don't want to be taken care of by black people." (2) where black people have said "I don't want to be taken care of by white people." (3) where black people have said "I don't want to be taken care of by black people" case in point the "short bus" affair. But there were many other such occurances and strange combinations of requests. And where both white people and black people didn't want to be taken care of by any people.

So you see in far too many instances what we may be really seeing here is not necessarily racism but an underlying longing of said patient to undergo a sorely needed psyche consult.

So dear colleagues in this type of situation try doing what I used to do when one race or another expresses a distaste for one race or another in caring for them. If you're in charge try to find a representative person of one race or another to care for this picyune person in giving them the best care humanly possible.

If you know what I mean.