Does segregation exist in hospital settings

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2016

There is a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia called Grady Memorial Hospital. Many healthcare professionals are familiar with it and have survived the gauntlet-like, survival of the fittest training this inner city hospital has provided to legions of nurses and medical doctors alike.
But, still, even with the passage of time, in many circles it is casually referred to as "the Gradies." This designation is a vestigial reference as it is a throwback to a time when black and white patients were segregated for their care in different buildings and areas of the institution.
Under segregation white doctors and nurses attended to white patients and black doctors and nurses to black patients. That was the way it was and few questioned the legitimacy of this off-shoot of what has been referred to as "America's Peculiar Institution" of slavery that gave birth to the canard of "separate but equal."
So to set the record straight, again, although the black nurses and doctors were always as good as, if not better, in many instances, than the white nurses and doctors, if not for the prevailing attitude of many then and today who believe that some folks should be more equal than others, life went on.
This cultural myopia may just be human nature but I think progress can be said to have been made when "any nurse" of "any color" can say without vitriol, "Oh, yes, I work at the Gradies. It's a hell-hole but you learn a lot."

Ahhh yes Shady Grady, I remember it well.

allnurses Guide · Oct 1, 2016

There are places where patients still share rooms? I truly did not know that still existed in this day and age. Here, rooms aren't made to be large enough to house 2 beds.

Inpatient psych: Our patients share a room without so much as a curtain between the beds. Nothing like room mates fighting over snoring, stolen underwear and Jesus. I'm tired of the drama that shared rooms produce.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2016

Thank God all the rooms at my hospital are private. It was only built 16 years ago, for what it's worth. The other hospital in town has been around since forever, and still has some private rooms. I did not like that, especially when one or both roommates were crazy.

armyicurn · Oct 1, 2016

Have you ever been to the VIP wing at the former and new Walter Reed?

RyanRGN · Oct 1, 2016

It does in Saudi Arabia hospitals!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 1, 2016

It does in Saudi Arabia hospitals!

What does?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2016

Moved to the Nurse Colleague / Patient Relations forum.

armyicurn · Oct 1, 2016

What does?

Segregation.

Guest957596 · Oct 2, 2016

Segregation based on race, class, or religion. Do nurse supervisor unwittingly segregate patients by placing them in rooms because of factors other than medical necessities.
For example I've noticed that black patients are often roomed with other black patients

You answered your own question with one word: UNWITTINGLY". If patients arer assigned by supervisors (they're not), they don't look at race. They look at admitting diagnosis and see which appropriate floor has an open bed. Your post is suspect and I find it inappropriate.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Oct 2, 2016

What part of the country? I have never seen segregation in health care.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 2, 2016

What part of the country? I have never seen segregation in health care.

And how long have you been a nurse? Segregation still exists in some places, forty and fifty years ago it was the standard in many places.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Oct 11, 2016

Open beds are scarce in my hospital, no chance to segregate. Males with males, females with females. Sorry if one patient is 20 and alert and oriented and the other is 102, incontinent, confused, combative, talking crazy, and climbing out of bed all the time setting off the bed alarm...if that's the only room available, then they're unfortunately rooming together. We can't even accommodate this situation so segregation would never happen.